I'll Be the Fire Escape
by shiptomylou
Summary: Jackson finds himself in a no-win situation. Leave it to his best friend April to find him a way out. Eventual Japril.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! This is my first ever fanfic. The idea kept rolling around in my head for a few weeks, so I started writing it down. This fic begins around mid-season 8. For the purposes of this story, Alex doesn't live with Jackson and April. They did end up finding a place for just the two of them. It is rated T for now. I've never attempted writing M material, so I don't know if I'd be any good at it. We'll leave that possibility open for later chapters. lol**

**The title of this fic is taken from the song "Brand New Colony" by The Postal Service. In my opinion one of the most romantic, inconspicuous love songs ever. ;)**

Jackson Avery looked at the caller ID on his ringing cell phone and wanted to avoid answering it. It was his mother, and he had been dreading this conversation for the last twelve years. He knew he'd have to deal with it eventually, so reluctantly he answered the phone.

"Hi Mom."

"Happy birthday, baby! I can't believe my boy is thirty years old. Where has the time gone?", she sighed.

"Thanks Mom. I know what you're going to bring up next, but don't even bother. It's not going to happen", he stated firmly.

"Now darling, we had an agreement. And an Avery never goes back on their word."

"Mother, I was a dumb eighteen year old who didn't think you could possibly be serious!" he shouted, furrowing his brow and rubbing his temples.

"Well I was serious, Jackson, and so was Dr. Hartman. This has been a long time coming and you are not about to ruin this relationship for us." she stated matter-of-factly. Catherine Avery was not a woman to be trifled with. She was the CEO of the Harper Avery Foundation as well as a world renowned urologist. She was used to getting her way, and her only child would not be the one to change that.

"I have to go" Jackson said abruptly. He really couldn't deal with this right now, or ever for that matter.

"Jack-" was all he heard of his mother before he pressed "End" on his phone.

* * *

A short while later, there was a knock on his bedroom door. "Come in", he answered. A mop of red hair peeked its head around the door. His roommate April stepped in.

"Happy birthday, roomie! I made your favorite for breakfast...waffles!" she exclaimed, but she could tell he was only half listening to her. He was sitting cross-legged on his bed, deep in thought.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Don't tell me you're already having a mid-life crisis".

"No, no. It's not that." he responded stoically. "It's nothing, never mind. So you made me waffles? Let's go eat them before they get cold."

April crossed her arms and stayed in place. "No way you're changing the subject that easily."

She knew him well enough to know that he internalized everything. They had been friends since their first year as interns at Mercy West Hospital. Their friendship only grew stronger after they tragically lost both of their best friends, Charles and Reed, in a crazy hospital shooting shortly after Mercy West merged with Seattle Grace Hospital. When he began having recurring nightmares after the shooting, it took her two months of daily comforting and conversation before he was willing to confide in her what his nightmares were about. When he broke up with his ex-girlfriend, Lexie, it took him a few weeks before he finally admitted to April that it did bother him that he was still living under the same roof as his ex.

It's a good thing he did end up confessing to April, because she too was tired of living in a house with half of the people they worked with. So she knew that the man she'd shared a two-bedroom apartment with for the last six months wasn't going to tell her what was bothering him. He'd let it eat away at him and ruin his birthday.

"Look, I'm not leaving this room until you tell me what's wrong. I know you, Jackson Avery, and I'm not going to let you mope around the apartment on your thirtieth birthday!"

He looked at her, weighing her words, and knew that she wouldn't back down. His best friend might be petite and unassuming, but she was nothing if not tenacious.

April sat down at the foot of his bed and said "Just tell me. You know you always feel better once you've told me."

After a couple minutes of silence, he muttered "Okay, but you're going to think that I'm crazy."

"Well you already think that I'm crazy, so we'll finally be even." she countered.

He sighed, wondering how to begin. "On my eighteenth birthday, my mother sat me down and gave me a huge speech about how I was an Avery and with that came great responsibility. It was all very Spider-Man-ish." he joked. "So anyway, then she mentions how our family has been in partnership with the Hartman family for decades..."

"Wait, Hartman, as in The Hartman Hospital and Dr. Andrew Hartman?" she queried.

"Yes, as in Dr. Andrew Hartman, the very first recipient of the Harper Avery Award." he explained. "Our families have been close as long as I can remember. Always on the frontline of cutting edge medicine and blah blah blah...

My mom started explaining how she and Dr. Hartman had always hoped that his daughter, Paige, and I would end up together to merge our two families. Like one big medical empire." Jackson looked up at April, who was completely engrossed in what he was saying, so he continued. "So I guess my mom and Dr. Hartman seriously started to discuss creating a real plan, and decided that if Paige and I were still single when we were thirty..."

Oh. My. Jesus. April could sort of see where this story was going, but she didn't think such a thing would happen in this day and age. An arranged marriage? Really? She didn't want to jump to conclusions, so she let him keep talking.

"...that we should get married. I thought she had gone batshit crazy, but she was dead serious. She explained how powerful it would make our families, and how much influence we'd have on the medical community. She also mentioned the possibility of cutting me off financially if I didn't agree to her plan. I asked my mom what Paige thought of this plan, since she'd have to agree to it too. I guess she was all in because she had some issues with always wanting her daddy's approval. So my mom kept pestering me about the Avery legacy, and I just wanted her to stop. And I figured I'd have found someone and be married by thirty anyway, so I agreed just to shut her up."

April sat with her mouth agape. "Why the hell would you agree to something so insane?!"

"Because I just wanted my mom to get off my back! At eighteen I didn't take into consideration that between becoming pre-med, medical school, internship, and residency my social life would be almost non-existent." He dramatically fell back onto his bed. Covering his face with an extra pillow.

She scooted up on his bed, pulling the pillow off his face. "Hey, I'm not judging you. I'm just trying to understand how something like this could actually happen. It's such a medieval concept. Like you're Henry VIII and this Paige chick is Catherine of Aragon." She rubbed his arm reassuringly. "Can't you just say no? That you've changed your mind?"

"I wish I could. I kinda tried this morning. But the wheels have already started turning and apparently Paige is still totally on board. If I back out now I would be tarnishing our family name and my family would be so disappointed." He shook his head and sighed. "See, I told you being an Avery isn't as great as everyone thinks it'd be."

April paused before questioning "Wait, why is Paige okay with this? I would NEVER let my parents marry me off like I'm some cattle they can sell off." she stated willfully.

"Because Dr. Paige Hartman, cardiology fellow at the Hartman Hospital, has never done anything to displease her father. And I think a part of her also thinks it's a good idea. She bought in to the family business and all the legacy crap early on. We grew up seeing each other at fundraisers and during summers on Cape Cod. She never questioned any of the expectations leveled on her by her family like I did." He sounded resigned. Like he was actually contemplating going through with this madness.

"Do you even like her?" April asked.

Jackson shrugged and stated "She's nice, I guess. I haven't seen her in at least five years. Since I moved to Seattle. I only get updates about her through my mother. I never thought it would actually come to this. Look, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I don't even want to think about it until my mother calls me again and I'm forced to deal with it, okay?"

April was about to respond about how that was a ridiculous way to deal with this issue and that he needed to really face it and do something about it, but she could see the confusion behind his eyes and knew that he was really struggling with this. So she let it go and plastered a big smile on her face. "Fine." she said, "but I think I'm going to have to reheat your waffles."

* * *

April sat at the small desk in her room putting her makeup on. She was getting ready to take Jackson out to meet their co-workers at Joe's bar to celebrate his birthday. She was trying to apply her eyeliner, but couldn't seem to keep her hand steady. She just couldn't concentrate. Something was gnawing at her, and had been since the conversation she'd had with Jackson in his room earlier that day. They tried to act like everything was normal, but it wasn't. They ate their waffles in relative silence as Jackson contemplated what he was going to tell his mom without getting him disowned, and April just wanting to find a way to help her best friend out of what seemed like a no-win situation.

She stared blankly and leaned back in her desk chair, crossing her arms. Was there anything she could do to help him? She could try to talk to Dr. Avery on Jackson's behalf, but she didn't think that would make a difference. A ludicrous thought kept popping up in the back of her mind, but it was too absurd to even consider. April shook her head and chuckled to herself. That would never work... Right? Well, they did already live together. They were best friends, so it wouldn't be that awkward she supposed. Her family was halfway across the country in Ohio, so they would never even need to find out.

Wait, what was she thinking?! She couldn't do this. This was a sacred thing, not something you do just to help someone out! But that someone was Jackson. Her best friend. The only true friend she had here. That made it different. Maybe that made it okay. She stood up resolutely, and walked straight into Jackson's room without knocking.

"What the -" Jackson pulled his second pant leg up just as April barged in.

"Jackson," she stated confidently, "I have a proposal."

**Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Since this is my first chapter ever I'd love to hear feedback or suggestions on how to improve upon anything. Thanks for reading! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has shown support for this story! Especially to those who took the time out to review. It makes me so happy to know that others are enjoying my story. I also wanted to take the time out to thank all the Japril fic writers whose stories I've enjoyed reading since I recently discovered FanFiction. I won't name you all because there are so many. If my fic turns out even half as good as any of yours, I'd consider myself lucky! **

**Without further ado, here is Chapter Two. (Did you like how I rhymed there? lol)**

He thought it was a bad idea. April had always been a little kooky, but suggesting that they marry each other? That took the cake. But she had explained her reasoning very soberly, and it slowly started to make sense. Yes, they did already live together. Yes, they already knew almost everything about each other, so it wouldn't be too hard to fool other people. Yes, it would get his mother off his back about marrying Paige Hartman. April's plan was sounding better by the minute.

"But how long will we stayed married? We can't pretend forever. We're going to want to live our lives and date other people." Jackson pointed out.

Oh, she hadn't thought about that. If she was being honest with herself, she didn't think that there were many dating prospects for her anyway. April was certain that men either found her annoying or uptight. She liked to think of these qualities more as extreme cheerfulness and efficiency. Though she did see how not being able to date might be more of a problem for Jackson.

"Um, well we're going to be so busy with the boards coming up and looking for fellowships at other hospitals. I doubt we'd be trying to date all that much in the next year or so, right?" she asked, although it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself as well. Jackson stood up from his bed and starting pacing back and forth beside it. "This is insane. The fact that we are actually talking about this is nuts."

"Look," April sighed, "I'm just trying to help out my best friend. You're looking for a way out, and I'm offering you a temporary one. I'll be the fire escape, but it's up to you whether or not you want to use it." She turned on her heel and started to walk towards the door.

"April, hold on. I'm not saying I'm not tempted, it's just... are you sure about this? That you'd really be okay with this?" Jackson looked at her with genuine care and concern. He was slowly edging closer to her as he continued. "It's a big commitment, I mean, time wise. And we'd have to keep up the appearance at work and with my mother." He put a hand on her shoulder and looked straight into her eyes. "Are you sure you'd be willing to do this for me?"

She was looking straight into his eyes and at that moment she thought that she'd agree to just about anything he was asking her. Sure, he was her best friend, but even April Kepner wasn't blind. "Uh... what? Um, yes, yes I'm sure." she answered, stepping back and moving out of his gaze. She thought for a second, and continued. "Come to think of it, our fellowships give us the perfect out. I mean, I highly doubt we'll end up in the same state. So after a respectable amount of time of people thinking we're doing the 'long-distance marriage' thing, we can say that we grew apart and that's our ticket to a divorce!" she proclaimed, rather enthusiastically. "The whole thing will take two years, tops. Don't worry, Jackson, nothing really has to change."

Jackson saw her goofy grin and it made him smile. Some found her enthusiasm irritating, but he had always found it endearing. "You've really got it all figured out, haven't you?" After a pause, he shook his head and continued. "I can't believe you're willing to do this for me, but since you are... Okay. Let's do it." He wasn't going to overthink this. April was offering him a way out of this crazy situation, and he was going to take it.

April was taken by surprise when he grabbed her up in a bear hug and squeezed tight. "Thank you so much for doing this. How am I ever going to repay you?" he asked. She paused thoughtfully before jokingly responding, "Don't worry, being an Avery will come in handy when my half of the rent is due."

* * *

Jackson was standing in front of a Justice of the Peace with his best friend, April, when it finally hit him. He hadn't fully thought about the significance of what they were doing. This was something extreme. It was legal and binding. He began wondering why on earth April would volunteer to do this for him.

It had been four days since his birthday. He and April had gotten their marriage license the day after his birthday, but had to wait the mandatory three more days until they could get married. Three days is plenty of time to think something over and realize that it would be a huge mistake, but neither of them did. To Jackson, April's plan still seemed logical and fairly simple to implement. They didn't think it'd effect their day to day lives all that much. Only on paper, and on certain occasions when they'd have to "act" married. No biggie. To be honest, they didn't even talk about it in those three days. They were on different shift schedules at work recently so they barely saw each other except for the occasional exchanges of generalities as each of them passed through their apartment. They just went about their normal routines. Getting married seemed as if it were just another thing they had to do, like going to a dental appointment.

Except right now, standing inside the King County Clerk's office, Jackson started to regret accepting April's proposal. Sure, this definitely helped him out. No more talk of weddings, family mergers, or Hartmans. A burden would be lifted off of his shoulders, but at what cost? What would it mean for April? This wasn't fair to her. She was the kind of girl who had probably planned her wedding out since she was a little girl. A romantic setting, with beautiful flowers and a fairy-tale dress. And Jackson knew she deserved for it to be that way. Instead she was standing in front of him in an old office wearing a white sundress and flip-flops, not a flower in sight. Just because he couldn't put his foot down where his mother was concerned. He began to realize for the first time the magnitude of just what April was giving up for him.

Guilt wracked him as he looked down at April, who was too pre-occupied with looking down at her watch incessantly. "By the power vested in me by the state of Washington, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride," the officiant announced. Regardless of any guilt he was feeling, it was too late to turn back now.

He steeled himself, preparing for their first kiss. One he thought would be like kissing a sister, if he'd had one. When he leaned down to April and their lips met, he felt something different. A distinct tugging in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't the nauseous feeling he'd anticipated from a familial kiss. No. What was it? A flutter, maybe? No, that'd be weird. This was April he was talking about.

The kiss ended abruptly, and Jackson quickly realized that whatever it was that he was feeling in that moment was definitely one-sided as he noticed April glance at her watch nervously once again. He chocked up what he had been feeling to adrenaline in the moment and brushed it off. He and April thanked their officiant and the elderly assistant who had served as their witness. They signed the necessary documents for their marriage certificate and went on their way.

As they exited the county building, Jackson and April stood on the steps of the entrance and looked at each other anxiously. Jackson was the first to break their silence. "Well, that was weird."

"I know," April responded awkwardly. "I'm really sorry to cut this short, but I gotta get going or I'm going to be late. My shift starts in twenty minutes."

Jackson feigned a look of sadness and teased, "I can't believe you didn't even take the day off for our wedding."

"Ouch!" He yelped, as the back of April's hand smacked him on his chest. He couldn't help but chuckle. He was glad that the enormity of what they had just done hadn't effected their friendship.

"Haha very funny," April retorted. She looked down at her watch again. "I seriously have to go. I'll see you tonight back at the apartment?"

"Yeah," he responded. "I'm going to hit the gym, but I'll definitely be home before you get there. I'll make something for dinner. Spaghetti, maybe?"

"Sounds good to me. See you later," April replied with a small wave. With that she turned and walked toward her car.

"Later," he waved, before heading across the street. As he approached his car, he let out a small sigh of relief. April was right, nothing really had to change.

**So what'd you think? Please leave a review. I'd love to hear your opinion, good or bad. :) As always, thanks for reading! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again! Thank you all so much for your continued support of this story. I love reading all of your reviews and seeing the follows and faves as well. :)**

**Just a reminder that this story is semi-AU from the middle of season 8. Also, I had a hard time trying to get the voices of the other characters down. Probably because I'm usually so focused on watching Jackson and April. ) I hope you enjoy it anyway!**

April walked briskly down the hallway heading towards the hospital cafeteria. She was scrubbing in with Dr. Bailey on a hernia repair surgery in half an hour, but wanted to grab something to eat quickly first. Jackson came around the corner as she reached the cafeteria entrance.

"Hey," he greeted. "Are you having lunch?"

April nodded. "Yep, but I gotta make it quick. I have a surgery I need to get to in thirty minutes."

"Cool, I'll sit with you until you leave," he replied.

They walked in and stood in line to pick out their lunch when Jackson saw that their friends Alex, Meredith, and Cristina were also in the cafeteria. Meredith was first to spot them and waved for the two residents to join them at their table.

Jackson could tell immediately that April was internally freaking out. They had gotten married the day before, and this would be their first test at portraying a happily married couple. He put his hand on her shoulder and asked, "Are you ready for this? We can sit at a different table if you want to."

As tempting as that sounded, April shook her head. "No, it's fine. Let's sit with them. Everyone's going to find out eventually, right? Let's just get this over with."

"Are you sure?" he queried, a mixed look of worry and fear on his face.

"Yes. Let's go. It'll be good practice for us before we have to deal with your mother." she noted.

Oh yeah, he'd almost conveniently forgotten about his mother. It had been a couple days since the last time he'd spoken to Dr. Catherine Avery. During their last conversation, his mother was insistent that he needed to take time off soon so that he could fly out to Boston. She wanted to plan a lovely dinner with the Hartmans to discuss his future with Paige. He was only able to stall her by reminding her that his oral board exam was coming up in a few weeks and he needed time to concentrate on studying. As a surgeon herself, his mother couldn't argue with him on that. So he had promised her that as soon as the boards were over he'd take some time off and join her in Boston to discuss the future for himself and Paige Hartman. Jackson figured that bought him at least a month before he had to break the news that he'd married his best friend and that Catherine's plans for an Avery-Hartman merger were dead.

As Jackson and April crossed the cafeteria, Meredith Grey could tell that something was going on. Why were they whispering cryptically to each other before they headed over to the table?

"What's up with you guys today?" Meredith questioned. April looked quickly towards Jackson before sitting down at the table and looking straight down at the plate in front of her. "What do you mean? Nothing's up. Everything's perfectly normal. Why would you ask that?" she answered spastically.

Meredith was about to pry further until something sparkly caught her eye as April brought her cup up to her mouth. "Whoa what the hell is this?!" she practically shouted as she grabbed the redhead's left hand. "April are you engaged?"

April knew that no one was going to miss the enormous diamond ring on her finger. She didn't think anything other than a simple wedding band was necessary to convey their 'marriage', but Jackson had insisted that it wouldn't be believable unless he bought her a ring worthy of an Avery. In the end they had settled on a three carat oval cut diamond solitaire. April had put her foot down and argued that if he was hell bent on buying a diamond that huge, then it just needed to be on a plain ring (platinum at his insistence), with an equally plain wedding band to match.

"No, um, nope. Not engaged," April stated quickly, wishing she'd taken Jackson up on his offer to sit at a different table.

"Holy shit," their mutual friend Cristina Yang interrupted. "Pretty boy's got a wedding ring on too." The cardiology resident looked over at Jackson, who was now nervously twisting his wedding band around his finger. "Don't tell me you deflowered the Virgin Mary!" she proclaimed.

Alex Karev had been sitting in shocked silence before addressing Jackson with a scowl, "Dude, Kepner? Really?"

"Hey!" April growled. She straightened up, looked at her three friends, and sighed before beginning. "Yes, Jackson and I are married. We realized we were in love with each other soon after moving in together and decided we couldn't wait any longer to be married." She glanced over at Jackson and placed her left hand on top of his right, intertwining their fingers. She hoped that this would make what she was saying sound more convincing. Her new husband played along and used his thumb to rub the top of her hand. His movement took April by surprise, as the feel of his thumb pad circling her skin sent tingly waves straight through her chest.

Needing to shift her focus, she turned her attention to Alex and continued. "I know it may come as a shock to you that someone would want to marry me, but you could at least pretend to be happy for us." She didn't wait for a reply before she checked her watch and stood up from the table. "I have to go. I have a surgery in ten minutes." The four other surgical residents watched as April grabbed her tray and walked off towards the exit.

Jackson looked on with dread as April headed out of the cafeteria. Great, now he was left alone to fend off the twenty questions he was about to receive. Cristina was the first to speak. "Since when did you two become an item? I thought you were still hung up on Little Grey."

"Come on, we all know Lexie was never over Sloan. I was just a distraction for her," Jackson admitted. It had taken him some time, but he had come to terms with the fact that he was definitely a rebound for his ex-girlfriend. If he was being honest, there had been signs throughout their relationship. The longing looks between her and Mark. The way she repeatedly tried to convince herself that she wasn't jealous of Mark's new girlfriend. At one point he had thought that maybe he was in love with Lexie Grey. It was the first long-term adult relationship he'd ever been in. Sure there were plenty of flings and hook-ups before her, but who had the time for anything more when you're trying to become a surgeon? He had cared for Lexie more than any girl he had ever dated. But it wasn't love. It was lust, it was convenience, it was a distraction. He knew that now.

Alex chimed in. "So you decide to shack up with Kepner instead? Her junk must be made of gold for you to be willing to marry her," he bluntly stated.

"Watch it, Karev," Jackson warned.

Alex continued pestering. "I'm just saying, we know she cooks and cleans. And maybe she's not too hard on the eyes. That doesn't mean you go out and marry her. Why else would you do it? Are you trying to get her to give you the best shifts at work? She's only going to be chief resident for a couple more months. Totally not worth it."

"Alex, stop it," Meredith intervened. She looked over at Jackson and gave him a reassuring half smile. "I get it. You and April have always had a weird thing going on." Jackson looked puzzled, but let the blonde continue. "You understand her and she understands you. You've got her back and she's got yours. You take care of each other. She's your person." Jackson nodded in silent agreement. April was definitely his person. He had never thought about it in those terms, but Meredith was right. She paused before continuing, "I'm still surprised by the marriage part, but still, I get it."

"I'm just glad Kepner's finally getting some," Cristina interjected. "Maybe she'll be a little more bearable now," she said between bites of her salad. Alex couldn't help but nudge Jackson before asking, "I bet the sex is awesome though, right? If she's as feisty in bed as she is at work, it must be pretty hot."

"You say that like you've thought about it before," Cristina added in an accusatory tone. Alex raised his eyebrows and grinned guiltily. "Of course I have. I'm a dude." He watched as his three friends shot him looks of surprise and feigned disgust before they chuckled at his candor.

Jackson rolled his eyes and shook his head in amusement, looking over to Alex and Cristina. "Can we please talk about something else now? I don't feel like discussing this with you guys anymore."

Alex looked at him and raised his eyebrows. "You gotta admit it's pretty weird, man. Especially since it's coming out of nowhere. We didn't even know you two were dating."

"I know it comes as a surprise to you, but you guys need to get over it," Jackson retorted. "April is my best friend, and now she's my wife. We got married. That's it. It's that simple."

There were so many questions his friends wanted to ask, but they kept them to themselves. They could tell they weren't going to get anything more out of Jackson. The four surgical residents continued eating their lunch and discussing other topics like upcoming surgeries and studying for the boards.

Jackson only listened halfheartedly to his friends conversing. There was so much on his mind. He had just referred to April as his wife. It was surprising how easily it had rolled off of his tongue, and how natural it had felt to caress her hand earlier. And what did Meredith mean when she said that he and April had a weird thing going on? Why was it weird? Did she see something between them that he didn't? He rubbed his temples in frustration. Now he was really over analyzing things. This was what he was afraid of. Messing up the only good relationship he had. Making things complicated between them. Except he was the only one complicating things. April was going about her business as usual, he thought, seemingly unaffected by their charade.

He needed to stop where his thoughts were leading and go back to thinking of it as more of a business arrangement. No feelings necessary. It seemed to be working for April. Yes, that's what he would do. Keep things less complicated. Start looking at April like a business partner, not a wife.

* * *

April sat at her local Starbucks going through her flash cards repeatedly. She had written down every single surgical scenario she could think of, but was still convinced it wasn't enough to make her fully prepared. A couple weeks had passed since she and Jackson got married. It had been surprisingly easy for them to maintain the appearance of being married once everyone at the hospital found out. They just had to keep their rings on when going in to work and if anyone asked for details on the ins and outs of their marriage or how it happened, they just replied that they wanted to keep their private lives private. So far it had all been going as planned.

Those two weeks had flown by, really, and now it was nearly time for their oral boards. Her studying habits had gone into overdrive. She usually studied with Jackson, but he was working and she needed to get out of the apartment for fear that she'd get distracted by napping, or the television, or surfing the internet on her laptop. So she found herself sitting in the coffee shop a couple nights a week studying the same cards and scenarios over and over and over.

April grabbed her coffee cup and tilted her head to sip the little that was left in it. As she put her cup down, a hand placed an identical cup down next to hers. She looked up and saw a man standing in front of her, shyly smiling.

"I figured you could use a refill. Decaf, right?" he asked nervously. April looked at him in confusion. Did she know him from somewhere? Is that why he was talking to her? No, she was pretty certain she'd never seen him before. He was tall and lanky, with light brown hair and brown eyes. Not overly handsome, but still, nice enough to look at.

She smiled politely, still a little shocked. "Uh, yes, decaf. Thanks. How did you -"

"I asked the barista what you ordered," he answered. Not wanting to come off as creepy, he continued. "I hope you don't mind. I've been sitting over there studying for my Bar exam. You looked a little stressed out so I thought maybe another cup of coffee would help."

April was sure she was blushing now. He had noticed her? She did not get hit on very often, and usually the guys that did hit on her looked like they walked out of a tech convention, not a J. Crew catalog. Plus, he was a law student! So probably not living in his parent's basement then, she mused.

April composed herself before responding, "Thank you so much, um, ...?" She searched his eyes, realizing she didn't know his name yet.

"Kyle," he answered as he proffered his right hand to her. "My name is Kyle."

**A/N: I know a lot of you were really looking forward to Mama Avery's reaction to their marriage and I promise you, it's coming later! They just need to get through some other stuff first.**

**I'd love to hear what you thought of this chapter, so please leave a review. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi All! Again, thank you for your lovely reviews. They definitely keep me inspired to keep writing. **

**Well, I had some extra time this weekend so I finished this chapter faster than I anticipated! Hope you all enjoy. :)**

April was sitting in her bedroom deciding which lipstick color looked best with the champagne-colored dress she was wearing. Lip gloss, pink lip gloss. That's what she decided on. She didn't want to look too sexy for a first date and give the wrong impression, so she had chosen a mid length belted shift dress and had forgone her red lipstick.

It was still surprising to her that Kyle had approached her at Starbucks the night before. He had sat down with her for a bit and seemed like a genuinely nice guy. When he asked her if she'd be free for dinner the next night, she tried not to make it too obvious how excited she was before responding 'yes'. How often did she have cute guys asking her out on a date? She played it off as cooly as possible.

April grabbed for the wedding rings on her dresser before stopping her hand midway. They wouldn't be necessary tonight. She hadn't been wearing her rings when she and Kyle met yesterday. She didn't wear them when she was 'off-duty' from being married. It was only a first date, so she didn't think it would be necessary to bring up her arrangement with Jackson yet.

As April was sitting on her bed buckling her strappy heels on, she heard a quick tap on her door. It was left ajar, so Jackson peeked his head around and announced, "Hey, I picked up a pizza - Oh, are you going out?"

April smiled. "Yes! Believe it or not, I have a date tonight," she proclaimed excitedly.

Jackson looked puzzled. "A date? What kind of date? With a man?"

The redhead couldn't help but feel affronted by his question. Was it so hard to believe that someone of the opposite sex would take an interest in her? "Of course it's with a man. A very sweet and handsome one too," she stated matter-of-factly. She tried not to show that his comment had hurt her feelings, but she could feel her eyes starting to water and she willed them to stop before beginning to defend herself. "I know I'm not the type of girl you'd ever see in that way, but apparently there is someone out there who is interested enough to give me a chance. Give it some time though, I'm sure he'll start to see how annoying I can be and he'll prove you right." April stood up, grabbed her purse and walked passed Jackson out her bedroom door. She couldn't look at him any longer without her tears betraying her and giving away just how much that small comment had stung. She was used to the jokes and teasing from the likes of her sisters and co-workers, but Jackson? He was supposed to be different. He was the one person who had always accepted her for exactly who she was. At least that's what she thought before now.

Jackson watched April walk towards the living room, flabbergasted. What just happened? "April," he softly implored, as she headed towards the front door. She turned around, trying not to make eye contact with him, but he could see that a tear had rolled down her left cheek. He hated knowing that he was the person making her feel that way. "I didn't mean it like that. Of course someone would be interested in you," he explained. It still amazed him how much his best friend was filled with self-doubt. How could she think he would imply that no man would be interested in her? She was funny, kind, caring, and beautiful. He wished that she could see in herself what he could see right in front of him.

Jackson continued, "What I was trying to ask was why you were going out on a date in the first place. I thought part of our agreement was that we wouldn't date anyone while we were doing this whole marriage thing."

"No, that's not what we agreed to," she countered. "I said that we probably wouldn't _have time_ to date anyone, not that we _couldn't_ date anyone else." April wiped the wetness from her cheek. She was glad that Jackson wasn't inferring what she had assumed, but now her sadness was quickly turning to anger at the direction the conversation seemed to be going. "And don't ever think that you have the right to tell me who I can or cannot date!"

"Whoa, whoa, wait a second," Jackson stated defensively. He could see that this was escalating to a place he had not anticipated. He stepped forward and tried to put his hand on April's arm to calm her down, but she quickly turned away from him towards the front door.

"April, I think you're missing the point of what I'm trying to say to you," he rationalized. Pulling her keys out of her bag, April gave him a final look. "I really don't have time for a lecture right now, Jackson. I've gotta go or I'm going to be late for my date."

Her best friend watched as she closed the door behind her, leaving him standing confused in the middle of their living room. How did offering her pizza for dinner turn into this?

* * *

April stepped in to the restaurant at 6:55 p.m., relieved that even her conversation with Jackson hadn't made her late. She prided herself on her punctuality. Altura was nicer than most restaurants she went to. The ambience was casual yet romantic, with candles lit at every table. Plus she'd heard that the food was to die for. Kyle had been waiting for her at the bar. She liked that he'd shown up early too. They were promptly seated by a hostess at a small corner table.

"The food is awesome here. Have you been before?" Kyle queried.

"No, but it smells amazing in here. I can't wait to try it," she enthused. April was trying her best not to make it obvious how nervous she was. She wasn't always the best in social situations, but Kyle was being so kind that it was putting her at ease.

They decided on the Chef's tasting menu and a bottle of white wine.

The conversation began to flow easily, with each of them telling a little bit of their backgrounds to each other. April started with her upbringing on the farm in Moline, Ohio. Then continued with how she ended up at Mercy West, which eventually landed her at what became Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. She found out that Kyle was a native Washingtonian, growing up on Mercer Island and attending the University of Washington for both his undergraduate degree and now law school. By the time they had finished their third course, they'd discovered that they were both avid football fans.

April crossed her arms and leaned on the table. "Let me guess, you're a Seahawks fan?"

"Of course! You're not?" Kyle asked playfully.

"Well, I do root for them now that I live here, but I will always be a Browns fan at heart," she declared.

"Cleveland? I wouldn't have pegged you for a member of the Dawg Pound," he teased.

"Ha!" April laughed. "I wouldn't say I was that intense, but I've been a fan for life. Everyone in Moline cheers for the Browns. My dad didn't have any boys, so he shared his passion for football with my sisters and I."

"I just feel so bad for you. When's the last time Cleveland had a winning season, 1958?" Kyle joked.

"Hey! You sound just like my best friend. He's from Boston, so of course he's a Patriots fan. He loves to rub it in my face how much they've won in the last decade or so," April shared. Crap. She had gone a good forty five minutes without having to think about Jackson Avery. Why did she have to bring him up? Things had been going so well.

Their meal continued and April was enjoying Kyle's company, and savoring the delicious meal she was having. Except now she couldn't get Jackson out of her head. She found herself robotically answering questions and following along with what Kyle was saying, but her mind was replaying her argument with Jackson earlier that night.

As much as she was angry at him for reminding her of the arrangement they had made, Jackson was right. She should not be dating anyone right now. A wave of guilt crept over her for leading Kyle on. When the waiter brought the check, April swiftly grabbed the bill.

"Hey, what are you-" Kyle began to ask.

"Kyle, I haven't been completely honest with you," April began. "Well, I have and I haven't. When you asked me out yesterday I was so flattered and you seemed so sweet and I definitely wanted to go on this date with you. But the truth is that this is a really, really, _really_ bad time for me. I've got my board exam coming up, and then God knows what state I'll end up in for my surgical fellowship. It just wouldn't be fair to start something I know I have no business getting into."

She paused from her rambling to take a breath before continuing. "This has absolutely nothing to do with you, and everything to do with me. You seem like everything a girl could ask for, and in another time or place maybe this could've been something. So please let me pay for dinner as an apology for my craziness, but also as a thank you for such a lovely night out." April chose not to mention the fact that she was also currently married to another man. She figured he'd get the point without bringing up that minor detail.

Kyle shook his head slightly and answered, "Wow, that was... intense." He took a full minute to wrap his head around everything April had just said. Finally after an excruciating silence, he began. "Uh, okay, I get where you're coming from, and I can't really force you to go out on another date with me. So, um, if that's what you want I understand. Except I can't let you pay for my meal. That would be too weird."

"No, please, I insist," April stated guiltily.

"No, really. I can't let you do that. My mother taught me better manners than that," he argued. April was feeling more guilty by the second.

They decided to split the bill. After fifteen minutes of all-around awkwardness, the tab was all paid and they headed out the door. April was dreading the uncomfortable goodbye. "Thanks again for the wonderful dinner, and I'm so sorry things didn't go as planned," she said apologetically.

"You're very welcome. I still had a good time, except for that last bit," Kyle quipped. "If for some reason you end up staying in Seattle, you have my number."

April reached up to give him a hug. "Bye Kyle."

Kyle gave her a small half smile and a short wave goodbye.

As April drove the ten minutes back to her apartment, she wondered how the night had turned out like this. She couldn't help but let the tears flow from her eyes. Hot, stinging tears falling from her taut face. These were angry tears. Anger from what she had just done. Anger from what she was giving up. Anger that she was doing it all for Jackson. All of this. All for him. This was Jackson's fault.

**Okay try not to hate on April too much! LOL. You know I have to build up some angst before the fun begins. )**

**Please leave a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi Everyone! Again, thank you so much for your continued support of this story. In reading the reviews for the last chapter, I see that some of you found April annoying. That is okay. To be honest, as much as I love April I do find her very irritating when she's having her irrational freak-outs. Remember, this is April we're talking about. A person who is bold and confident when making rash decisions (losing her virginity, running out of her wedding), then has freak-outs when she realizes the enormity of what she's done (men's-bathroom-meltdown, side-of-the-road-after-her-wedding meltdown). I hope you understand my reasoning for writing her this way, and even if you don't, that's okay too. **

**I hope you enjoy this next chapter. :)**

* * *

Jackson flipped through the channels on the television before finding an old episode of 'The Simpsons' to watch. It didn't really matter what was on, he wasn't paying attention to what was playing anyway. He sat on the living room sofa, checking his watch for probably the tenth time within the last five minutes. He was trying not to go completely insane, and it had everything to do with a certain redhead who would not leave his mind.

Tapping his fingers on the sofa cushion, Jackson wondered to himself what was disturbing him so much. It was usually much easier for him to shut off his emotions and brush things off. He'd learned when his father left him as a child that shutting down was the easiest form of self-preservation. Not with April, though. He'd been reluctant to let her in, but after the hospital shooting she had been relentless in not accepting his general "I'm fine" answer. For some inexplicable reason his defenses always came down for her. He had always kept his pain to himself, thinking that it made him seem stronger. Until her let her in. Let her see the anguish, and the guilt. The guilt of being left behind, the sorrow of being left alone. A pain he found that she, too, understood. She bore the same scars, the same struggle. It became much easier to bear them, and face them, together.

Right now though, it didn't seem like they were facing anything together. There seemed to be so much miscommunication in such a short amount of time. Jackson closed his eyes and tried to recall the fateful conversation they'd had on his birthday. He could've sworn they'd agreed not to date other people. It was too messy otherwise.

To be honest, though, he wasn't quite sure if that was really what the main issue was for him. She was out on a date. A real date, with a complete stranger. A stranger she probably didn't know anything about. Not even bothering to tell Jackson where she was going. He was worried sick. Not just worried about the strange man she was with, but also whether she was having a good time. Did he make her smile big enough that the dimple in her left cheek showed through? Would she slap his arm if he was teasing her about something embarrassing? Could he make her giggle in that adorable way that Jackson thought was reserved just for him?

Jackson had been glued to the sofa for the last three hours. He told himself that he was just sitting there watching television to kill time before bed, but who was he kidding. He was waiting for April. He'd been waiting since she walked out the door earlier that evening.

The sound of a key turning in the front door alerted him that she was finally home. He stood up, relieved, ready to discuss what had happened before she left. As soon as April walked in the door, he could tell she'd been crying.

"What happened? Are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

April turned her face away from him, closing the front door. "I'm fine, Jackson. I don't want to talk about it."

She started walking towards the bathroom in the hallway, but Jackson intercepted her and blocked her path. The last time he'd seen her looking this upset, she had nearly hooked up with Alex. "April, did something happen to you? What did that asshole do?" he spit out angrily.

"Nothing! He did nothing! He was perfect!" she cried.

Jackson looked perplexed. "Then why are you crying?"

April looked a him in utter frustration. She sighed before explaining, "Nothing happened because I told him I couldn't date anyone right now. And you know why I told him that? Because of you. Because of you and your stupid problems." She stood still as the tears stopped falling and the anger was visible in her eyes.

Jackson looked at her, aghast. He could not believe she was turning this around on him. "Are you freakin' kidding me right now? This was entirely _your_ idea! You're the one who came up with this stupid plan, I was just dumb enough to go along with it!" He couldn't hide his frustration any longer. He'd had enough of April's misplaced anger. Jackson knew he wasn't the bad guy, and he wasn't about to let her make him feel like one.

"Yeah, but you agreed to it! You were more than happy to let me dig you out of your hole. I should never have done it. I was stupid and now I'm stuck for who knows how long in this situation where I can't really move on with my life. Do you know how rare it is for someone like that to want to go out with me? And I blew it." She thought for a bit before continuing. "When this whole thing is over, I'm going to be a divorcée! My _real_ husband is going to be known as my _second_ husband!" She began to feel suffocated as the enormity of what they'd done finally hit her. "What were we thinking, Jackson? What have we done?" Her tears began anew, and she needed to walk away.

"April..." he breathed, wanting nothing more than to make things right between them. Even knowing that she was being completely unfair, he hated seeing her like this.

"Please Jackson, just leave me alone. I can't deal with this right now, I can't -". She couldn't even finish her thought. She needed some space. April ran passed Jackson into her bedroom, slamming the door shut.

Again, Jackson was left standing alone in the living room. Left to wonder what had gone so wrong. "What the fuck just happened?" he muttered into the emptiness.

* * *

April squinted into the darkness and turned towards her bedside table. She checked her clock. 3:27 A.M. She found it hard to blink her eyes because her mascara had started caking in her sleep. She hated falling asleep with her make up on. She had gone straight into her room after her conversation with Jackson and plopped right down face first onto her bed. She cried into her pillow until she must've fallen asleep.

She wanted to forget last night ever happened, but before she could she needed to get into some pajamas and wash her face. She sat up, legs hanging over the side of the bed, and began unbuckling her sandals. Yep, April had managed to fall asleep in her entire get-up from the night before. Then she stood up, walked over to her dresser and pulled out an oversized t-shirt and pajama shorts. Changing out of her dress and into her pajamas, she opened her door and headed directly across the hall to the bathroom.

Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, April looked at herself in the mirror. She was a mess, inside and out. As she removed her make-up and washed her face, she replayed the events of the last couple days. She faced herself in the mirror again, taking a good, hard look. Her eyes began to water, this time out of regret. Regret that she had even entertained the notion that it was a good idea to accept a date invitation. It was a bad idea, and she knew it. It was selfish, but it had felt so good to get that kind of attention from someone. April had allowed her ego to get in the way of a promise she had made to her best friend. She liked to think that she wasn't the type of person who would do something like that, but she did.

Jackson was right, he hadn't asked for any of this. She was the one who hatched the plan. She was the one who convinced him that it would work. Tears of guilt fell down her freshly washed face. Guilt for being so horrible to Jackson when the person she should have been upset with was herself. She hadn't thought things through, and that was no one's fault but her own.

April shut the light off in the bathroom and paused after shutting the door. She should just cross back into her bedroom and go back to sleep, but she couldn't leave things the way they were with Jackson. She felt horrible and knew it was selfish to wake him up at this time, but she things needed to be fixed _now_. She wouldn't be able to sleep until they were. April walked to the door next to the bathroom and opened it. She knew he was already asleep, so she didn't bother to knock. She padded quietly to the side of Jackson's bed, and tapped his shoulder.

"Jackson. Jackson, are you awake?" she whispered.

"Well, if I wasn't before I definitely am now," he grumpily replied. He had been dozing in and out of sleep since their argument, unable to stop his mind from turning. So when April tried to wake him up, it didn't take much effort.

"April what are you doing in here?"

"I needed to talk to you right away, Jackson. I couldn't leave things the way they were between us. I was horrible, and mean, and I said things that were way out of line," she began.

Jackson scooted to the other side of his bed and motioned for April to sit down. He knew that if she had a lot on her mind, it was going to be a long conversation. She sat down and pulled her legs onto the bed. Folding her legs under her and facing Jackson, she continued. "I'm just so, so sorry Jackson. You were right, this whole marriage thing was all my idea and I shouldn't have gone out on that date. I just got caught up in the excitement of a cute guy asking me out. Still though, I know I should've said no. I made a commitment to you, and I promise I will see it through to the end."

"April, it's okay. I know you can get a little overdramatic sometimes. I'm used to it," Jackson said reassuringly.

"No, it's not okay. Stop being so nice to me. I need you to understand how sorry I am. I don't want to lose you."

Jackson looked at her, bemused. "What do you mean, lose me? I'm not going anywhere."

April sighed. How could she explain this to him without her sounding pathetic? "It's just that... you're the only friend I have left. You're my best friend. You're it. So when we have an argument like this it just makes me so scared that you'll leave me and I'll have no one."

Jackson leaned back on his bed so that his back was leaning against the headboard. Opening his right arm, he gestured for April to lay against his shoulder. She complied. Wrapping his right arm around her, he began, "Don't you think I feel the same way? Yes, you're a little...quirky, but I'm used to it. I'm not going to stop being your friend because of it." He squeezed her arm a little tighter and rested his chin on the top of her head. "All we have is each other, and that's fine by me."

"But you have Alex, and Meredith, and..."

"I have them just as much as you do," he countered. "We all lived together, we all have lunch together, we all have drinks together sometimes. They are _our_ friends. But you, you are my person," he said, echoing the words that Meredith had used a few weeks ago.

April smiled. She knew that Jackson was her person, but still, it was nice to hear him say it. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before April stifled a yawn. "I need to go to bed."

"Just stay here," he mumbled sleepily.

It had been a long time since they had last shared a bed. April used to occasionally fall asleep with Jackson when his nightmares got really bad, back when they were still living at Meredith's house. After awhile, she hadn't needed to keep him company. Lexie had taken her place as his bed companion, and eventually his nightmares had subsided altogether.

After the night they'd had, April found it comforting that Jackson still wanted to be close to her. She gave him a half-smile in agreement and scooted down under the covers. Just as they had in the past, they laid with their backs facing each other. They didn't need to be physically touching to feel each others' presence. It was just nice knowing that they were there for each other. April closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. It took mere seconds before she drifted off to sleep, safe in the knowledge that she and Jackson were going to be okay.

**I'd love to hear what you thought of this chapter, so please leave a review. Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone! Thanks to all of you for your continued interest in this story, especially those who've left such supportive reviews. :) I hope you enjoy this new chapter. **

Jackson stood at a nurses' station, updating his latest patients' charts. It had been a busy morning. A local house fire had sent six people to Seattle Grace Mercy West and they were all being treated for second degree burns. Jackson paused for a second in between signing charts. He had been moving non-stop since he arrived at the hospital for his shift. The day had been extremely hectic, and he needed a moment to calm down. He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath, imagining he was inhaling the same amazing scent he had smelled that morning.

_A hint of strawberries...and citrus. That's what her hair smelled like. He wasn't sure if she was wearing perfume the night before or if it was from her shampoo, but April smelled incredible. His alarm had gone off and he was quick to keep it quiet, knowing that she had the day off. That's how he had found himself awake and lying next to his best friend as she slept. He hadn't meant to get so close to her. He was afraid he might wake her up, but he couldn't help himself. She'd created such a beautiful silhouette with her hair laid out across the pillow and her back turned towards him. All he could see before him was auburn hair and the delicate curves of her body. So he scooted closer to her, careful not to touch, but close enough that he was nearly spooning her. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her from behind and fall asleep with her for a little while longer, but he knew that was a place he could never go. That was dangerous territory. _

_It seemed that over the last few weeks there had been these thoughts about April in the back of his mind that he couldn't shake. Thoughts about how it had felt when he kissed her at their wedding ceremony. How natural it had felt to intertwine their fingers and caress her hand as they pretended to be in love. And now, more recently, how wrong it had felt to think about her being with anyone else. These thoughts needed to stop, but he didn't know how to make them. He knew she didn't feel the same. It was obvious in the way she responded to that first kiss, to the hand-holding, to another man. This friendship was sacred to him, and any lingering feelings he'd been wrestling with were not worth the risk of ruining it. So he scooted back, away from her delicate figure and off the bed before he would do something that might change their friendship forever._

Jackson was interrupted from his reverie by an all too familiar voice. He had hoped he wouldn't have to hear it for another few weeks.

"So..." she began, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I hear congratulations are in order?"

"Mom? What are you doing here?" Jackson asked, flustered.

Dr. Catherine Avery looked at her son with a mix of anger and disappointment. "I take it you're not happy to see me. Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

Jackson was at a loss for words, so his mother continued. "Imagine my surprise at having to hear from a colleague that my only child has gotten married."

"Who told you? I, uh, was going to tell you after I took my board exam," he tried to explain.

"Jackson, please. Let's not play this game. Lord knows when you would've told me if I hadn't flown out here for a consult on a penile cancer patient," she scolded. "Dr. Webber congratulated me on my son's nuptials, telling me that you and Dr. Kepner make a lovely couple. Am I right in assuming he's talking about Dr. April Kepner?"

Jackson stood up straighter. There was no avoiding it now. "Yes, that's right. April is my wife."

Catherine stepped closer to her son with a serious expression on her face. Jackson wasn't sure if she was about to lecture him or slap him.

"Boy, if you dragged that poor, innocent girl into some scheme to get out of your arrangement with Paige Hartman so help me -"

"This isn't some scheme!" he insisted. "April and I had been dating for awhile, I just didn't tell you because you're a meddler and I didn't want you meddling in my relationship."

"That still doesn't explain why you needed to marry her. And why do it so suddenly, and secretively?" she queried accusatorially. "Something doesn't smell right, Jackson Avery, and I'm going to figure out what it is," Catherine warned.

Jackson looked around and noticed a couple of nurses standing around, ears perking up at the sound of his conversation with Catherine. "Look, mother, this is not the appropriate place to be talking about this. Why don't we meet later for dinner and we can fill you in on everything you missed," he suggested.

His mother shook her head and smiled mischievously. "I have an even better idea. How about I come over to have dinner with you and April. It will be convenient to have dinner at your apartment since that's where I'll be staying the next couple nights."

Jackson's eyes bulged, and he could not hide the shock in his voice. "You're what?" He stood staring at his mother with his mouth slightly agape. Did his mother just invite herself over to stay at his apartment?

"You didn't think I'd stay at a hotel and miss spending some quality time with my new daughter in-law, did you?" she coyly stated.

Catherine Avery was not amused by this sudden turn of events in her son's life. This was not her vision. She had put a plan in place for him and she was determined to see it through.

* * *

Working up a sweat after cleaning the bathroom in her apartment, April wiped her brow and answered her cell phone.

"Hey Jackson, I was just-"

"April, sorry to interrupt, but this is important. I need you to listen to me." After a pause, he dropped the news. "My mom's here."

Her voice immediately filled with panic. "Here? Where? Seattle?!"

"Yes, she's at the hospital to perform surgery on a patient with penile cancer. It's scheduled for this afternoon so you still have at least six hours to get everything done-"

"Get what done?"

"Get the apartment ready for my mom," Jackson explained apologetically. "I'm so sorry April, but she invited herself over and she's going to stay with us for a couple nights"

"Wait what? She can't come over to the apartment! She'll know we've been lying!"

Jackson could sense that she was feeling a bit overwhelmed, so he attempted to calm her down. "April, breathe. We're going to be fine. I just need you to start making the apartment look like it would if we were actually married."

April scanned the apartment looking for areas that needed to be changed. The shared living spaces were fine. It was obvious that April and Jackson co-habitated. The main problem was their bedroom arrangements. Married couples usually didn't sleep in separate rooms. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down in order to take on what needed to be done. "Okay, I can do that. Do you mind if I go through things in your room? I'll need to move some stuff around."

"Do whatever you need to do. I trust you. I'm so sorry I'm not there to help. My shift is over in three hours and I'll go straight home to do whatever else needs to be done." At that moment Jackson was so thankful for April's organization skills. If anyone could rearrange an apartment at a moment's notice, it was her. "I gotta go, but call me if you need anything. See you in a bit. Oh, and thank you, thank you, thank you. I owe you big time."

* * *

April walked across the hall from the bathroom to her bedroom. Well, technically now it was Jackson's room too. She had just gotten out of the shower after spending the last few hours reorganizing her room and moving most of Jackson's belongings in too. It was easy to decide which room would become 'theirs'. When they had first moved in Jackson graciously offered the bigger room to April, so it made sense to use her room and change his into the guest room for Catherine.

Jackson's room was minimally decorated so it was easy to convert it into the guest room. The worst part was having to move all of his shoes. It took her a good thirty minutes just to fit his shoe collection into her closet. How could a man own three times as many shoes as she did? Thankfully the rest was pretty easy and she'd mentally patted herself on the back for making the room look so convincing.

As she changed clothes and dried her hair, she began to try to prep herself for Catherine's visit. Should she call her Catherine? Or still Dr. Avery? Or maybe Mom? No, Mom definitely did not sound right. How would they explain why she didn't know they were dating or that they had gotten married? Would she ask about their sex life? Oh God, she would definitely ask about that. Catherine Avery had no boundaries where that topic was concerned. Even when she thought April was just Jackson's friend, she had been on a mission to find her a man to take care of her virginity "situation".

April headed to the kitchen to check on the meatloaf she had put in the oven before her shower. It wasn't ready yet, but the apartment smelled delicious. She hadn't had time to prepare an elaborate meal on such short notice, but she was able to whip up a quick meatloaf with what they had in the apartment. Her head was swimming with possible scenarios of what could happen at dinner tonight. Her brow began to sweat and she began pacing the kitchen. She needed a drink. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of red wine. As she was pouring herself a glass, Jackson entered the front door.

"Hey. Drinking already?" Jackson noted in amusement.

"Yes, I'm freaking out. Aren't you?" she questioned. "Do you want a glass?"

"Sure, why not?" he shrugged.

"Why are you so calm? Aren't you worried that your mother is totally going to figure us out? This is bad, Jackson. Really, really bad."

"No, I'm not worried," he replied, sitting down on a barstool at their kitchen island. "We've already practiced our story at work, and it's not like we don't already know everything about each other to be able to pull this off." He thought for a second, then added, "And even if she thinks something's going on, who cares? She can't do anything about it. We're already married."

April wished that his words had reassured her, but they hadn't worked at all. It was easy for Jackson to say he didn't care, but this was still Dr. Catherine Avery. April _did_ care what she thought about her. Ever since she met Dr. Avery during her intern year at Mercy West, she had admired her. So to April it was still important to be in the urologist's good graces.

"Jackson, you don't understand. To you, she's just your meddling mom. To me she's still the amazing Dr. Catherine Avery. Do you realize how excited I was when she and I became friends on Facebook? Not to mention how disappointed I was when you made me un-friend her. Just let me freak out a little, okay? I hate that I'm lying to her, and I'm pretty convinced that she's going to figure it out. She can read me like a book. Did you know she figured out I was a virgin just by seeing how I looked at a penis during surgery? Do you really think she won't be able to tell if we cuddle or kiss that it's not completely natural for us? I'm going to be a dead giveaway!"

Jackson looked at April and smirked. She was so adorable, even in the midst of this meltdown. All he wanted to do was hug her and reassure her that everything would be fine. Instead, he tried to reason with her. "What can I do to make you feel better? You want me to call her and tell her she can't come over? I can say you have relatives staying with us so she needs to stay at a hotel."

"No, no, don't do that. She will definitely know something's up if we avoid her completely." She leaned over the island and covered her face with her hands. "I just don't know if I can pull it off. I'm a really bad actress. It's easy at work because we see people for five minutes at a time and then we can stop pretending. Your mother will be here for the next forty eight hours."

"Okay, slow down. Now you're starting to make me paranoid. You really think it'll be that obvious?" he asked worriedly.

"Well...yes. Don't you think she'll expect us to be affectionate with each other if we're newlyweds? If she could tell I was a virgin just by the way I looked at a man's parts, don't you think she'll know if she sees us kiss and we don't look natural doing it?"

April stood upright again, and downed her glass of wine. She needed all the nerve she could muster to say what she was about to say.

"I think maybe we should try kissing now...you know, so it's not so obvious that we haven't done it before," she suggested. She looked up at Jackson, nervous for his response.

"We did kiss, during the wedding ceremony," he reminded her.

"Yeah but that didn't count. We were with strangers and I was in a hurry. I wasn't paying attention during that kiss."

Her words stung a little. He had definitely remembered that kiss, as it had kick-started all of these annoying feelings he'd been having for his best friend lately.

She tried to explain further. "I need to really kiss you, to make sure we look as natural as possible if we do it in front of your mother. That way we can get all the nerves out of the way now about being affectionate with one another." She could see that Jackson wasn't sure this was the best idea, so she continued. "I know it sounds weird, but you know me. I'm an overachiever, and practice makes perfect."

Jackson sat on his stool, contemplating April's suggestion. Just as he had thought when he woke up next to her that morning, he told himself that this was dangerous territory. He had been trying to keep everything about the marriage on a professional level so as not to ruin their friendship, so he knew this couldn't be a good idea. But, he had to admit, he wanted to kiss her. He'd wanted to kiss her again ever since they stood in front of that Justice of the Peace. Just to see if that feeling in the pit of his stomach would return, or if maybe it had just been gas. So who was he to say no to her idea? At least that's what he'd just convinced himself.

"Well, if you think it will help..." Jackson began.

"Yes," she nodded, convincing herself as much as him. "Yes, I think we need to. Let's just get it out of the way so we have one less thing to worry about while your mother's here."

Jackson sighed. He stood up, took another sip of his wine and walked over to April's side of the island. April turned around so that she was facing him, her back pressed against the island.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jackson asked tentatively.

April looked at him and saw a spark of something new in his eyes. It wasn't a look she'd seen in him before. It was a dark look, a primal look, and she found it very... sexy. Trying not to look too flustered, she answered as casually as possible, "Yes," she swallowed. "Yes, I'm sure."

He stepped closer so that their bodies were almost touching. He leaned down slowly, waiting for her to inch closer. She did, closing her eyes just before their lips touched. There it was, that flutter in his belly that told him he wanted this to continue. Her lips were so soft, so supple. The kiss was different than the last time. Better. Better because she was actively participating. Lips moving in time with his, head tilting to deepen the kiss. He didn't want to stop, but thought maybe he should before things went any further.

It wasn't until he heard a distinct hum of enjoyment pass from her mouth to his that he tentatively coaxed his tongue between her lips. Soon their tongues were entwined in a slow and soft dance. Jackson stepped forward so that their bodies were pinned together and wrapped his arms around her lower back. One hand clenched the bottom of her shirt while the other rested on the skin of her waist where her top had ridden up.

"Mmmm," April purred, as she threw hers arms around his neck. The feel of his firm grip just above her hip and his tongue sensually dipping into her mouth sent twinges of arousal down to her most sensitive region. A feeling that was so foreign to her. A feeling that she never wanted to end. Their kiss was interrupted all too abruptly when a noise startled them both and they jerked apart. It was the doorbell.

Breathing heavily and slightly disoriented, Jackson stepped back first to compose himself. "That must be my mother." Damn it, that woman had the worst timing, he cursed to himself. He looked to April, concerned. "Are you ready for this?"

"Yes," April lied. She traced her finger over her swollen lips as Jackson made his way to the front door. How could she be ready for anything after _that_?

**I would love to hear what you think about these latest developments, so please leave a review. :) As always, thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! I'm still amazed by the support for this story. Thank you all for your reviews, faves, and follows. They don't go unnoticed. I really appreciate the feedback.**

**Well, we have officially entered the land of the M rating. :) I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

"Mom, you're here early," Jackson stated rather grumpily as he greeted his mother at the front door. "I thought you said your surgery would last until this evening?"

Dr. Catherine Avery stepped into the apartment and handed her coat and suitcase over to her son. "It's nice to see you again, too, Jackson. The surgery didn't take as long as I thought it would. Try not to look too disappointed."

Catherine scanned the room and saw April blushing beet red in the kitchen. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No, of course not," April shakily replied. Between the kiss she and Jackson had just shared and his mother's arrival, April's nerves were shot. "Please, have a seat in the living room, Dr. Avery. Would you like a glass of wine?"

"I'd love one, dear. And call me Catherine. It seems that you and I will be spending much more time together now that we're family, so we better skip the formalities."

"Right. Catherine," April agreed. That was going to take some getting used to. "We have a little while longer before dinner is ready."

"And what are we having this evening?"

"Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans," April informed her.

"How..._quaint_. I haven't had a good ol' fashioned dinner in years," Catherine said condescendingly.

April smiled and poured herself another glass of wine. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

They had barely exchanged pleasantries before Catherine brought up a post-nuptial agreement. April was more than happy to oblige in signing it, since she had only gone in to this marriage as a favor to her friend. She was, however, completely shocked when she learned of the obscene amount of wealth Jackson came from. She knew he was from a wealthy family, but had no idea it was to that extent. It made her appreciate the man he was even more. He was so unpretentious that even after knowing him for five years he'd never mentioned the type of money he came from.

During dinner the conversation turned more personal. "April I have to be honest," Catherine began, "I was completely taken aback when I found out you and Jackson had gotten married. I was totally unaware that you two were even dating."

April paused to compose her thoughts before she began. "Well, Jackson and I like to keep our lives very private," she said nervously. "I'm sorry we didn't inform you of our plans to be married. I realize it was very selfish, but it was a very spur of the moment decision. My family had no idea either." April placed her hand on top of Jackson's for visual effect. "We just couldn't wait a moment longer to be married." She didn't know if it was the two glasses of wine she'd had or the effects of the kiss they'd shared earlier, but the feel of Jackson's hand in hers caused her heart to palpitate like a pre-teen girl at a One Direction concert.

Catherine pursed her lips, unaffected by April's declaration. "I don't know if Jackson told you, but he was nearly engaged to his childhood sweetheart, Paige Hartman."

"Mom, stop making stuff up. Paige was never any kind of sweetheart to me," Jackson argued.

"Regardless," his mother continued, "there was a verbal agreement in place between the both of you. I must say I find it very convenient that you and April got married right around the time you should have been marrying another woman."

Catherine was nothing if not straightforward. She knew what Jackson had to gain from marrying his best friend, but she was determined to find out what was in it for April. "Tell me sweetheart," she continued, looking straight at the redhead, "What do you love about my son that made you want to proceed with such a hasty marriage? Clearly it's not the money. Help me understand why I shouldn't keep thinking that this union is a sham."

April looked over to Jackson, who was playing it totally cool. Not a hint of nervousness. He rubbed her back affectionately in support and gave her a small smile. Boy was he good at this whole acting thing, April thought. His green eyes were staring back at her with such admiration that she couldn't help the words that came flowing out of her mouth.

"What do I love about Jackson? Hmm, well...he is the sweetest man I've ever met. He accepts me for who I am, and supports me in whatever I do. He's been through a lot already in his life," she paused, thinking about his father leaving him, "but that has only made him stronger. He internalizes everything, but I know he's very sensitive and takes things to heart. You wouldn't see it from the outside though, because he always wants to be strong for others. When our friends were killed, he was the best support system that I could have ever asked for. I know he will always be there for me no matter what."

April looked to Jackson, who had his eyes cast down. She could see from the blush on his freckled cheeks that he was too modest to accept all of the compliments she was throwing his way, but she wanted to make sure he was hearing her. She'd probably never have the courage to say these things to him again, so she placed her hand on his thigh in a bid to encourage him to look at her. When he did, she stared into his deep green eyes and continued. "People always talk about how handsome he is, and don't get me wrong, of course he is," she smiled. "But I wish everyone could know what a beautiful man he is on the inside. I'm lucky that he's chosen to let me see him that way. He makes it easy to love him. He is everything I could ever wish for in a partner and I would do anything to be the same for him."

There was a short silence. April and Jackson continued staring at each other as Catherine sat on the other side of the table processing all that her new daughter in-law had just said. April hadn't meant for all of that to come out, but once she started she couldn't stop herself. Her words were the truth, her best friend was all of those things to her.

She was suddenly taken by surprise as Jackson leaned in and gave her a soft, sweet kiss. The intensity of his gaze was heating the skin on her entire body. She wondered if he felt it too, or if he was just thankful for all of her kind words. It was probably just to keep up appearances for his mother, she reminded herself. The lines were beginning to blur between what was pretend and what felt real, and she was utterly confused about where they stood in all of this. Thankfully Catherine interrupted her jumbled thoughts.

"Well, I can't argue with anything you've said about my child. I'm thankful that he has someone like you in his corner," the urologist admitted, and it was true. Regardless of what she thought about this hasty marriage, Catherine had always liked April and knew that she didn't have a malicious bone in her body. Someone who could declare what April just had must really love her baby boy.

Catherine wasn't finished, though. She couldn't stop her curiosity from getting the better of her, so she continued to pry. "So how's the sex been, honey? Almost thirty years without it, I hope my son is making up for lost time."

April nearly spit up her wine.

"Mom!" Jackson shouted in embarrassment. "That is so inappropriate!" He turned to April again and addressed her. "You don't have to answer that. It's none of her business."

"Honey, I'm a urologist. This _is_ my business," she stated matter-of-factly. "April has nothing to be ashamed of. If we're family now she should feel comfortable discussing these topics with me."

April froze. This was what she was afraid of. Any talk of sex would be a dead giveaway. How could she talk convincingly about something she knew so little about?

Jackson could sense her hesitation and stepped in quickly. "If you must know, the sex is phenomenal. I definitely have no complaints and I know that April doesn't either." He looked over to April. "Right?" he nudged.

"Uh, right," April stammered. "Nope. No complaints. It's great, perfect. Everything I dreamed it could be." She needed to stop before she made a fool of herself, but added one last thing to try to convince her mother in-law. "My only complaint is that I'm so tired from doing it so much. You know, sore... Um, sore from all the sex," she smiled nervously. Oh God, she thought to herself. Stop talking. Right now.

Catherine smirked. "Honey relax, it's just sex. No need to get so uptight when you're talking about it." She turned to her son to give him some advice. "Jackson I don't know what you're doing or how often you're doing it, but you need to loosen this girl up." April couldn't hide her flushed cheeks and Jackson just shook his head at his mother's directness.

His mother looked at her watch, yawning. "Well, thank you both for such an informative evening, but it's getting late. I'm still on east coast time and I need to make some calls before I get some sleep. April, darling, thank you for dinner. It was delicious." The redhead smiled and they said their goodnights before Jackson showed his mother to the guest room. April began clearing the table and cleaning up, thankful that the first part of the inquisition was over.

* * *

Jackson and April sat on opposite sides of the bed in their newly shared bedroom. They had just finished cleaning up after their meal and decided to head to bed early. They were spending the next day with Catherine doing whatever she wanted to do in Seattle, so they needed to prepare for a full day of acting as husband and wife.

"Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be," she confessed. "Your mom seemed to accept us being married towards the end, don't you think?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "It's hard to tell. I have a feeling she's not going to let us off the hook that easily."

He began taking off his clothes to change into his pajamas. Not knowing where to look in order to give him privacy, April closed and covered her eyes.

Jackson chuckled. "April, it's okay. You've seen me shirtless before. We change in and out of our scrubs in front of each other all the time."

"I know, but this is different." She just found the situation they were in much more intimate than the residents' locker room. "I'll go change in the bathroom," she told him.

"Don't be silly. Besides, if my mom happens to see you going into the bathroom to change she'll definitely know something's not right," he pointed out.

He had a good point. April knew it was ridiculous, but she felt so insecure changing in front of Jackson. Especially when his body looked like _that_. All chiseled abs and toned body. They were on two different playing fields. "Can you turn around? Please?" she requested.

Jackson didn't really see the point, but he obliged. He had seen her in a bra plenty of times. She had always tried to dress so quickly at the hospital hoping no one would look at her, but he was a man. Of course he'd taken a peek now and then.

April began taking off her top and skirt. Jackson's head was turned in the other direction, but unbeknownst to her he could see her reflection in the mirror on her desk. He couldn't help but stare at her gorgeous figure in the mirror as she undressed.

After that searing kiss they'd shared earlier in the evening, it was like he was seeing her for the first time. The curves of her hips as she slipped on a pair of pajama shorts. The side of her perfectly sized breast as she slid on a t-shirt and it fell over her tiny waist. He wished he could see more, but he didn't want to get caught staring too hard in the mirror.

Jackson cleared his throat. "Can I turn around now?"

"Yes," she said. "I'll be right back, I need to use the bathroom."

Once they had both finished getting ready for bed, they settled in April's bed and turned the light off. They laid in an uncomfortable silence for a couple minutes in the dark. April's head was swimming with so many thoughts about the events of the last few hours. She wanted to talk to Jackson about that kiss before his mom had shown up, but she was afraid that maybe she was reading too much into it. Maybe they'd just gotten caught up in the moment. She'd never considered before that her gorgeous best friend could be interested in her in that way, but the way he'd kissed her made her think that perhaps there was something there between them. Afraid that he wasn't on the same page and that she would end up humiliating herself if she asked, April closed her eyes and remained silent.

Jackson couldn't stop replaying that hot kiss in his head. It had felt so good. So right. Except since then she hadn't brought it up or acted like it had effected her at all. Maybe she really was just practicing like she'd suggested. He also started thinking that maybe she was beginning to feel the same way he was when she told his mother all the reasons why she loved him. Replaying it back, though, he realized that she was probably listing all the reasons why she loved him as her_ best friend_, not as anything more.

He sighed and turned his back towards her. Just one more day with his mother and he could go back to trying to suppress his feelings for April.

"Goodnight," he whispered, closing his eyes.

"Goodnight, Jackson. Sweet dreams."

* * *

_"Jackson, are you awake?" April nudged from her side of the bed._

_"Hmm...what? April, what's wrong?" he asked groggily. He sat up, stretched, and looked over at her. It was still dark, so he hadn't slept more than a few hours._

_"I can't sleep. I, um, can't stop thinking about that kiss," she admitted, softly biting her bottom lip._

_God, he thought, she could be so sexy without even trying. "Oh, did you want to talk some more about it?"_

_"No," she said, acting bolder than usual. Her eyes looked up to him and were no longer the innocent ones that he normally looked into. They looked seductive, very seductive. "No more talking."_

_April lunged toward him and grasped the sides of his face, pulling him into a sudden and heated kiss. Jackson responded, pulling her by her waist until she ended up straddling his lap. Their kiss was hot and rough, tongues forceful and teeth clashing. Not like the kiss they'd shared earlier that evening. This kiss was all passion and need. April quickly pulled her top off, then began pulling off Jackson's t-shirt. Everything seemed to be moving so fast._

_"Whoa, April, what are you doing?" he asked. "I mean, I definitely want to, but...are you sure?"_

_April leaned her forehead against his, catching her breath. "I want to, Jackson. I _really_ want to." She finished pulling his shirt off and boldly shifted to remove her panties and pajama shorts. "Don't overthink it, Jackson. I want this, and I think you want this to."_

_He stared at the gorgeous body in front of him and could not believe it belonged to his best friend. Could this body have been hiding under all of those cardigans or scrubs this whole time? He was not about to say no to this. He wanted it. Bad._

_Jackson leaned forward and captured her lips again before slowly kissing down her neck. He could tell that her body was bursting with need. The way she was rubbing against his lap and grasping at his neck made him just as needy. He lifted her slowly so he could pull his boxers off. There was nothing between them now. Only skin against burning skin. _

_"I need to feel you inside me, now," she whispered, before grasping his length and guiding the tip to her entrance. He could feel how wet she was already and it took all of his willpower not to pull her down and thrust inside of her quickly and completely. But this was her first time, and he knew they needed to go slow. He lowered her onto him ever so gently so that he entered her slowly. Sweet Jesus, she was tight._

_"Ah!" she moaned. He was afraid he was hurting her, but she soon shifted her hips to take more of him in. The look on her face told him it was a moan of pleasure, not pain. He could feel her wetness surrounding him, allowing her to take him in deeper. She moved slowly at first, tentatively. He grasped her chin so he could look straight into her hazel eyes. "You feel _so_ good," he whispered before claiming her mouth and pulling her down fully onto his length as he thrust his hips upward. "Mmmmm, yes," she whimpered, riding him at a quicker pace. Her hips moved to meet his and Jackson couldn't help thinking how good she was at this. "Ohhhh, April," he groaned as he continued thrusting harder into her. Her thighs began tightening around his waist and he knew she was nearing her climax. She held her arms tight around him, swiveling her hips faster. "Oh God, Jackson. Yes, Jackson!..."_

"Jackson! Jackson! Wake up!" April shouted as she shoved his arm. "Jackson, it's okay. It's okay, I'm here," she reassured him.

He woke up startled, shifting to sit straight up on the bed. "Mmmm hmmm...I'm awake, I'm awake," he mumbled. He looked over at his best friend, who was eyeing him with concern. She was also fully clothed.

_Shit_, it was just a dream. He shook his head to snap himself out of his bewildered state and turned towards April. "What's the matter?"

"I think you were having a nightmare," she said, looking concerned. "You were groaning and writhing and you called out my name." She placed a hand on his arm. "Was it about the shooting? I'm okay Jackson. Don't worry, I'm here."

He was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say? He couldn't tell her he was having a super-hot sex dream about her. No way. He didn't want to completely humiliate himself, so he decided to go along with April's assumption. "Uh, yeah, it was about the shooting..."

As the words left his mouth, he realized it was too late. April's eyes had already turned and were now completely focused on the huge bulge sticking up under his blanket. He tried lifting his knees up so that it wasn't noticeable, but the damage was done. There was no hiding his huge erection. Jackson could see a flicker of realization dawning on April's face and knew that she had put it all together.

"Oh, um, yes. Yeah, uh, right. A nightmare," she stammered. "Well, um, don't worry. It's over now," she stated, her face completely flushed. She couldn't even look him in the eye. "I'm, uh, going to the bathroom to get ready. I'm sure your mother has a big day planned for us." April hurried off the bed and walked briskly out the door towards the bathroom.

"Hey April, wait. Let me explain-" he pleaded, but it was too late. She had already left the room. Jackson dramatically threw his head into his hands and closed his eyes, completely mortified by what had just happened.

**As usual, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter so please leave a review. Thanks for reading! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello everyone! As usual, thank you so much for all of your lovely reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this new chapter. :)**

"This is such a beautiful view," Catherine noted, as she drank her mimosa. She had told her son that she wanted to start their day off with brunch at the Four Seasons Hotel, so Jackson and April had obliged.

"So, where to now?" her son asked. He had been a little impatient all morning. He hadn't had a moment alone with April since their incident earlier in the day, so he was dying for some private time with her so they could talk about it. April had been awfully quiet during brunch and that made him even more paranoid. What could she possibly be thinking after what happened that morning?

"Now Jackson, what's the rush? Look at this gorgeous view! Let's enjoy it," his mother suggested, pointing out the window to the picturesque view of the Puget Sound.

"Mom, we can see this view any time. We live here, remember?" he quipped.

"Fine," she sighed. "Let's go. There's someone I need to talk to before we leave though... Avery business," she explained. April and Jackson both nodded.

They settled their brunch bill and followed Catherine out of the restaurant and into the hotel lobby, towards the elevators. April couldn't help but be impressed by the grandeur of such a fancy hotel. They didn't have establishments like this in Moline. She could see why Catherine would be conducting some Harper Avery Foundation business here. It was one of the nicest hotels in Seattle.

As they exited the elevator on the second floor, they walked down a short hallway and entered an exceedingly large ballroom. It was completely empty except for a woman in a business suit sitting with a clipboard in hand near the entrance.

"You must be Jackson and April," she greeted with a smile and handshake. "I'm Jennifer, the events coordinator. And of course, Dr. Avery, I presume. So nice to meet you."

The two younger surgeons exchanged confused glances before looking to Catherine, who wasn't saying a word. They were utterly confounded as to what was going on.

"Would you like me to show you around?" Jennifer asked cheerfully. "See how everything will be laid out on the big day?"

"Big day?" Jackson queried. He looked to his mother again, this time with an exasperated look on his face. She just smiled coyly, not giving anything away. Then he looked to April, who seemed just as puzzled as he was.

"Jennifer, could you please give us a second?" Catherine requested. Jennifer obliged, walking out the door to give them some time alone.

Looking to her son with a suddenly serious expression, she continued. "This," she gestured with her hands around the ballroom, "is where you two are getting married."

"Wait, what? Mom, we're already married..." her son corrected.

"Then let me rephrase," she spoke firmly. "This is where you are having your wedding." She could see the shocked looks on both of their faces, so she continued. "Did you really think I'd let my only child get married without having a proper wedding? Jackson, dear, you should know better."

Catherine was determined for this new wedding to happen whether they liked it or not. In her mind, her son had essentially robbed the Avery family of a strong alliance with the Hartmans. She chose not to dwell on it though, because of how much affection she had for April. Catherine could see how happy her son was with his new wife, so she decided that she could let it go. She was going to make the best of the situation Jackson had presented her with, and that would be to create a wedding befitting of an Avery.

"An Avery does not get married at city hall," Catherine said, disdain evident in her voice. "Do you know how much people would talk if they found out that my son eloped? That the future head of the Harper Avery Foundation got married without his own family knowing? It is unacceptable. _Unacceptable,_" she repeated.

"So I took it upon myself to make a few calls last night to see what was available on such short notice. And wouldn't you know it? The Four Seasons had an opening three months from now. Well, ninety eight days to be exact. That gives me just the right amount of time to hire a wedding planner, send out proper announcements and invitations, and turn this into the wedding it should have been in the first place." She turned to address her son directly. "Don't you think April deserves that? Don't you think _I_ deserve that?"

April shook her head before speaking up. "No, Dr. Avery. I mean, Catherine." This was all too much for April to deal with. She couldn't even imagine having a wedding ceremony on such a grand scale. "I really appreciate the effort, but I honestly don't need or want a big wedding. It's not something I've ever thought about all too much. I'm perfectly happy with the ceremony we had."

"Well, I am not," Catherine stated, firmly. "Thankfully no one in Boston knows you two are married yet, so we can make this wedding your official one and pretend the first one didn't happen. I realize that Jackson would've absolutely said 'no' to a proper Avery wedding in Boston, so this is the compromise that I have come up with. You're both living here in Seattle, so we will have the wedding here. And that, my darlings, will be my only compromise."

April could see that Jackson was fuming and that Catherine was not going to back down, so she tried to diffuse the situation. "I just think it's a bad time for us, you know, with the boards coming up...and not knowing where we'll be for our fellowships."

"All the more reason to have this celebration. To commemorate this special time in your lives before you begin a whole new journey together. Just think of it as a big party I'm throwing for the both of you," Catherine persuaded.

April sighed. She could see how important this was to her new mother in-law, and didn't have the heart to say no to her any longer. "Well, then... I, I think it's a great idea."

Jackson looked at both women, flabbergasted. "Are you both serious right now?" This is the worst idea ever!" Well, if he was being honest, maybe the _second_ worst idea he'd heard in the last month.

"Jackson, honey, relax. You and April don't have to lift a finger. I will handle everything and it will all be just perfect. You two just focus on your studies and leave the rest to me. Trust me, I know how to throw a party."

Just as Jackson was about to continue his argument, Jennifer walked back into the ballroom. "Everything okay in here? Would you like to see where the ceremony will take place?"

"I would love to," Catherine chirped.

"You two go ahead, I'm sure it's lovely," Jackson responded. "April and I will stay here and take a look around the ballroom." There was so much he needed to talk over with his best friend, and this was a good opportunity to do it.

His mother nodded, and the two ladies headed out of the ballroom.

"April, what is going on? Why would you agree to this?" he asked, confused.

"I just couldn't say no to your mother, Jackson," she admitted. "After how disappointed she looked yesterday that you weren't going to be with Paige, and finding out that we had gotten married in secret, and how excited she looked at the prospect of this wedding... I just... I couldn't say no."

April had always been this way. Always wanted to make everyone else happy, sometimes to her own detriment. That's why she made a good assistant to Chief Shepherd, and a good assistant to Jackson the 'Gunther'. That's also why she was having such a hard time being chief resident. She tried so hard to make everyone else happy that it made her job almost impossible to do.

Jackson wanted to talk her out of going through with this big wedding ceremony, but there was a more important issue pressing him right now. "So... are we going to talk about what happened this morning? Are we okay?" he asked worriedly. "You've been acting a little distant since then."

"Let's not talk about it right now," April answered, avoiding eye contact with him. She could see Jackson's hurt expression, but this just wasn't the right place or time to have a deep discussion about what was going on between them. "We'll talk later, I promise," she reassured him.

"Well, what do you think about this place? It's beautiful, right?" Catherine asked, thankfully interrupting their awkward silence.

Jackson pursed his lips. He couldn't believe what was about to come out of his mouth. "Uh, yeah, this place is nice. I think it'd be nice to have our ceremony here," he said, plastering on a fake smile. He watched as April nodded her head in silent agreement, putting her arm around his waist for show. He hated giving in to Catherine, but his best friend was right. This was the least he could do after how much he'd been disappointing his mother lately.

Catherine clapped her hands together, beaming. "Oh, I'm so pleased. You two will absolutely love it!"

"I highly doubt that," Jackson mumbled, as April elbowed him and smiled.

"It will be perfect, I'm sure. Thank you Catherine, for doing this for us," April said, giving her mother in-law a hug.

"Now come on, both of you. Let's go see the rest of this place!" his mother urged enthusiastically.

April grabbed Jackson's hand and pulled him to follow his mother. He rolled his eyes and released a small chuckle. It was amazing the things he'd do for the two women in his life.

* * *

"So..." Jackson began.

"So..." April repeated.

They both sat awkwardly next to each other in their shared bed back at their apartment. They had spent the day with Catherine and were completely exhausted. Having agreed to participate in a huge wedding, they had used the rest of the day window shopping for flowers, invitations, cakes, you name it. Catherine took mental notes of what April liked so she could incorporate some of those things into her vision for her son's wedding. The redhead thought it best to let his mother have whatever she wanted, so April was hoping that what she'd done today was the most she'd have to do for this wedding altogether. Ultimately this ceremony would be for Catherine, not for either of them, and that was totally okay with April.

Jackson was going insane from the paranoia and anxiety of not knowing what his best friend was thinking regarding what happened that morning and the evening before. He'd tried a couple more times during their outing today to get April to talk to him, but she didn't want to discuss it while they were out with his mother. So he had waited. Until now.

She yawned, and Jackson knew he needed to speak up before she fell asleep. He couldn't go another day without figuring out where they stood with each other.

"April you said we could talk later... and, well, it's 'later' now," he asserted. "Are you okay? I'm sorry about what happened this morning-"

"We're okay, Jackson," she interrupted. "It's just..." She paused, then decided to just be completely honest about what was going through her mind, or else it would keep eating away at her. "I'm just so confused. You kissed me yesterday and I felt like you were enjoying it. Then this morning, I'm pretty sure you dreamt about me, and I _saw_ how much you were enjoying that," she blushed. He grimaced at the reminder. April continued, "I just don't want to read too much into this, but you're giving me signals that are totally confusing me. I can't tell what's real and what's pretend anymore. I don't know what's going on with us, and I hate that," she confessed, looking downcast and fiddling with her hands.

"Me too," he agreed, rubbing his thighs nervously. "I'm sorry April. I'm sorry, and you're right. I've made this so complicated because of my feelings for you. I've been trying to make them go away, but you keep doing things without knowing you're doing them that are making my feelings for you even stronger," he declared. He thought back to that kiss they'd shared in their kitchen, and to her declaration to his mother of all the reasons she loved him. "I'm not sure how much of it was real, either. You are so hard to read sometimes and I can't tell if you're just uninterested or totally oblivious to what I feel is going on between us. I don't know how or when things started to change for me, but they did and I just don't want to screw our friendship up because of it. It means too much to me. So you have to tell me what you're thinking about all of this because I'm dying trying to figure you out."

April stared at Jackson, wide-eyed. He had just given a lengthy speech and she'd stopped listening after she heard him say that he had feelings for her. Did she hear him correctly? He had _feelings_ for her? Like not-just-a-friend type feelings? She was speechless. Between their kiss and him dreaming about her, April had assumed that Jackson was just having lusty thoughts about her.

Jackson, her sweet, super-hot best friend Jackson, had feelings for her, April Kepner. The girl that was never asked to dances in high school. The girl who was picked on by her sisters because she was awkward and nerdy. She had come a long way since then. If only she could see it in herself. Perhaps she was starting to.

April could feel the blush heat her cheeks and a small smile etched her face. She finally looked Jackson in the eye and saw how anxious he was for her response. She didn't know what to say or how to say it, so she didn't say anything at all.

She sat up on her knees and leaned forward, folding her arms around him. Jackson was taken by surprise, but understood what this gesture meant. It meant that he wasn't going crazy. That whatever he was feeling, she felt it too. He smiled into her shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her waist and began rubbing small circles into her lower back. April closed her eyes and nuzzled his neck. Jackson's arms always felt like the safest place to be. Even more so now. No words passed between them as they sat in each others' embrace for what felt like hours, but was really only a couple of minutes.

Eventually April's curiosity got the better of her and she lifted her head. "So, what does this mean for us? I mean, things are already so complicated. Doesn't this just make it even worse?"

"I don't know if it makes it worse," he answered. "Just different, I guess. We won't have to pretend as much. We can just try being a normal couple-"

"-who are already married," she reminded him. She didn't see how this new revelation wouldn't change _everything_ about their current circumstances.

Jackson could see that April was going to start overthinking their situation to death, so he tried to quell her fears. "Okay, let's just forget about the whole marriage thing for a second. You like me, right?" he asked. April smiled shyly, before nodding in agreement. He continued. "That's good, because I like you too. So let's just begin like any other couple would and start dating first."

"Dating?" she questioned. "How can we just start dating? We already live together, we know almost everything there is to know about each other, and we're technically already married. How is this going to work? I mean, I guess nothing would have to change in the way we're acting around other people, you know, since they already think we're together," she barely paused to take a breath. Her thoughts were all jumbled and coming out of her mouth as soon as they popped in to her head. "And what if things don't work out between us? Oh gosh, that would be so awkward. What if it ruins everything? I don't want t-"

Jackson wanted to stop April's rambling so he pulled her onto his lap and into a kiss in one swift motion. Her muffled words stopped as she closed her eyes and reciprocated, her mouth melting into his. The feel of his lips and tongue exploring hers made her forget any reason why she thought this wouldn't work. This was why she shouldn't overthink things. This, what she was feeling _right now_, could not be wrong.

April shifted her legs so that she was straddling Jackson. Her hands rubbed the back of his neck as her tongue moved in harmony with his. Suddenly, she felt a strong, sharp pinch at her waist.

"Ouch!" she cried out, and instinctively slapped his arm. "What the heck was that for?"

"I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head and smiling. "It's just that this is pretty much how my dream played out last night, and I wanted to make sure this time you were for real."

April's head fell back as she laughed, and Jackson took the opportunity to lay gentle kisses from the bottom of her chin down to the apex of her shoulder. He slipped his hands underneath the back of her shirt and tightly grasped her bare back as she lowered her head down to meet his lips again. She felt like she could do this all night, and the warmth she was feeling between her legs made her feel like she wanted to do much, much more, until her senses got the better of her.

"Jackson," she breathed, as she placed both hands on his chest.

"Hmmm?" he asked, leaning forward to rest his forehead on hers.

"Your mother's in the other room," she giggled.

"So? She thinks we're married anyway. This is what married people do, right?" he reasoned. He would probably say just about anything to get back to where they had just left off.

"Well," she began shyly, "it's not just that. I haven't, I mean, I've never..."

Jackson realized why she was hesitant, and brought his right hand up to caress her cheek. "Hey, we don't have to do anything you don't want to do. I'm just glad we're finally on the same page."

"It's not that I don't want to. I do. I really, really do," she whispered. "Just not right now, with your mother across the hall."

Jackson nodded in understanding and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "We have plenty of time for that, whenever you're ready." Although the wait was going to slowly to kill him, he thought. She had no idea how much his body responded to hers and how hard it would be for him to control himself around her, but he was willing to wait. For her, he would wait.

They spent the next few minutes languidly kissing each other while trying not to push each other too far. Jackson was finding her far too sexy, especially holding onto her underneath her shirt. Knowing she wasn't wearing a bra, it was torturous not to move his hands and try to caress her supple breasts and worship her body like it deserved to be worshipped. It was driving him insane.

With every touch of Jackson's lips on hers and his hands on her bare skin, April was burning with desire. His hands began moving dangerously close to removing her top, and she suddenly got very shy. She quickly pulled her top down with both hands and leaned back, away from his kisses.

"Sorry, I just...I think we should go to sleep now," she said, eyeing him apologetically.

No man had ever seen April naked. She just wasn't comfortable enough in her own skin to let someone else, even Jackson, see her like that. Not yet.

Jackson let out a deep breath. It was going to be harder to control himself than he thought. He could see that April was nervous and self-conscious. If only she could read his mind, she'd have known that she didn't need to have any hang ups about herself or her body. And yet it was partly her innocence that made her so alluring. The fact that she really had no clue how sexy she was, it was like she was his own little secret. And Jackson was more than happy to keep that secret all to himself. He was determined to make her feel as desirable as he thought she was. Oh, the things he would do to her... to show her... But not now.

They adjusted so that they laid down on the bed, him spooning her and placing an arm around her. She could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck, and she smiled from ear to ear, knowing that he couldn't see her face.

Jackson loved the feel of April's petite frame leaning against his, knowing that she was here with him and it wasn't just because they were pretending. This was still such a complicated situation and there was so much more they'd have to navigate. But they were here, together. For right now, that was enough.

**As always, I'd love to hear your feedback, so please leave a review. Thanks for reading!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello to all of my loyal readers! I'm sorry for the delay, but I just haven't been feeling very inspired to write for Japril during their current MIA status on the show. Also, here's another ****reminder that the April in my story is canon up until mid season 8, so before all the religion stuff started happening. This version of April is a virgin for all the reasons she stated in 7x3: "Mainly because I wanted my first time to be special and then I waited too long... and partially because I'm pretty sure guys find me annoying."**

**Anyway, here is a little chapter that I hope will hold you over until I find my muse again. **

* * *

"Avery! My man," Mark Sloan called out, placing a friendly hand on Jackson's shoulder. He had seen his resident eating alone in the cafeteria and thought it'd be a good time to deliver some good news he'd heard through the grapevine. "USC wants you. I knew they would. You've learned from the best," he stated cockily. Mark felt that his pupil's success was a reflection of how good he was as a mentor, and was glowing like a proud father. "When do you leave for New Orleans?"

"Tomorrow morning," Jackson replied. His last fellowship interview was the next day at Tulane University Hospital, and he couldn't wait to get it over with. The interview process for fellowships had been tiring and disappointing so far. More than half of his interviewers seemed more interested in his grandfather and mother than in him. "Honestly, I sort of want to cancel it," he admitted.

"What did you just say?" Mark asked, although he'd heard exactly what his resident said. "You _do not _cancel on Tulane," he commanded. "They have one of the most advanced Plastics departments in the country."

"I know that, it's just that I think I'm probably going to stay here at Seattle Grace. It'll be easier on us, April and I, if we stay put and accept the plastics and trauma fellowships here. Easier to maintain our relationship, you know?"

Jackson had barely turned his eyes up towards his mentor before he felt his ear being twisted and pulled. "Ow!" he yelped.

"Get up!" Mark shouted. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

Mark led them out of the cafeteria and pulled Jackson to the side so he could lecture him in a more private setting.

"I'm not about to let you ruin an opportunity with Tulane because of your relationship issues. Kepner's a surgeon too. She'd want you to take the best opportunity available to you, and you should want the same for her."

"It's not that simple-" Jackson began, before being cut off.

"It _is_ that simple. Do the commuter-marriage for a couple years and then you can both ride off into the sunset together wherever you want. Just remember that your fellowship sets you up for what will happen with the rest of your career. It's not the time to settle."

"It wouldn't be settling, though," Jackson clarified. "You are one of the best plastic surgeons in the country, and I can keep continue learning from you."

Mark smirked. It was true, although he'd like to think he was _the _best plastic surgeon in the country. "I'm not saying I wouldn't be happy if you decided to stay. Honestly it would make my life a hell of a lot easier keeping you around. I just don't want you to pass up an opportunity to expand your knowledge. To see what different approaches and techniques are out there. It'll make you a better surgeon."

A better surgeon, maybe. But would Jackson be happy? That was the part that he wasn't too sure about. It had only been a week since he and April decided to give their romantic relationship a shot, and he'd never been more content. He knew that it was all shiny and new, and that he shouldn't be getting so serious so fast, but this was already different than any other relationship he'd been in. They got to skip the 'getting to know you' phase, the 'awkward silences' phase, the 'should I call her?' phase. They had naturally fallen into a comfortable rhythm together and Jackson couldn't be happier. He wondered, though, if their new relationship could survive the strain of separation so early. In everyone else's eyes they were in a solid marriage that could withstand the time apart, but he knew that physical separation could very well lead to permanent separation. He had seen it first hand.

When Jackson's father left, he told his wife that he needed time to find out who he was, apart from being the son of Harper Avery. In the beginning, Catherine Avery would tell her son that his father would be home soon. "Any day now," she'd tell him, but that day never came. Jackson didn't want that to happen again. He couldn't lose April like that, not after he'd really just found her.

"Okay, I'll go to the interview," Jackson relented. He knew he wouldn't hear the end of it if he actually cancelled, so he decided that he'd just go to make his mentor happy.

"That's my boy!" Mark proclaimed, slapping Jackson swiftly on his butt before walking away in triumph.

* * *

April closed her binder of study materials when she heard the door to the apartment open. She was sitting up in her bed waiting for Jackson to arrive from the airport. She'd wanted to pick him up, but he'd insisted that he could take a cab since it was so late at night.

Jackson entered her room and stood in the doorway.

"Hey! How'd it go?" she asked, curious about how his interview with Tulane went.

Jackson didn't respond her question. Instead, he let go of his suitcase and headed towards the bed. She giggled as he kicked his shoes off and slowly crawled up the bed towards her. Without a word, he planted a hungry kiss on her lips. April was surprised at first, but quickly returned his kiss as she pulled at his neck to bring him closer.

"So I take it the interview went well?" she joked as they both came up for air.

"It was okay, I guess. They said I'd hear from them within forty eight hours," he replied nonchalantly.

April was eager to hear all about the hospital, the interview, and New Orleans. After a quick debriefing, Jackson leaned in an began leisurely kissing down April's neck. "Are we done with your twenty questions?" he asked between kisses. "Because I can think of more fun things for us to do..."

"I'm sure you can," she responded playfully. Everyday they had gotten physically closer to having sex, but each time she'd pull away. It wasn't that she didn't want to or that she wasn't ready, it was that she didn't feel confident that she'd be any good at it. April knew that Jackson had slept with other women. How many, she didn't know, nor did she want to. It would probably just make her even more self-conscious. Even just thinking about all the times she caught him (or heard him, for that matter) with Lexie at Meredith's house was enough to make her insecure. April would have no idea what she was doing and of course overthinking it in her mind was making it a million times worse.

This time when April moved Jackson's hands out from where they were moving underneath her shirt, he felt bold enough to speak up. He hadn't been able to touch her in over twenty four hours and he just wanted to be able to caress her skin without being rejected by her again.

"What's the matter? Why do you keep pulling away?" He didn't want his words to be interpreted harshly, so he elaborated in a softer voice. "I mean, if you're not ready for things to get too physical, I'm totally okay with that. But right now I just want to be able to touch you and it doesn't seem like you even want me to do that."

April found him completely adorable at that moment. He was almost pouting at not being able to touch her. The last thing she wanted him to feel was that she didn't want him too. She grabbed his face in her two small hands so that she could explain.

"Jackson, this has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me and my insecurities," she said, caressing his cheek with her thumb. He shot her a puzzled look and she sighed. This would be embarrassing, but she needed to communicate her fears.

"You know I've never done any of this before, I mean, besides the kissing and stuff," she muttered shyly. "And I know you've done all of these things that I haven't, and, I don't know...I just...I just don't want to be horrible at it," she confessed.

Jackson smiled at her and shook his head. "Is that really what you're worried about?" He grabbed both of her hands to hold them on his lap before reassuring her. "April, the way you make me feel when I'm kissing you, there is absolutely _no_ way you will be bad at any of it. Believe me."

She couldn't help but grin from ear to ear at his words. Jackson was never the most expressive person, but sometimes he was capable of being the sweetest man on the planet without even knowing it. She leaned in and met his lips, throwing her arms around him as he held both of his chiseled arms tightly around her lower back.

Jackson knew he must've said something right, because the way she was kissing him was so forceful, and so sexy. There was a confidence in the way her tongue was moving and leading his that caused him to dig his fingers into the taut skin of her waist. She pulled back for air, and confidently pulled her shirt over her head. To his delight, she wasn't wearing a bra. He stared in awe at the beautiful woman before him wearing nothing but black panties. Her loose curls of red hair falling down passed her shoulders, and her soft milky skin waiting to be lavished with kisses. Jackson pulled his shirt over his head and April began fumbling with his belt to get it unbuckled. He grabbed her hands to stop her.

"Not tonight," he said, shaking his head. He brought her hands up to his lips and kissed each of her open palms. "Tonight is going to be just for you."

April looked at him with a mix of lust, confusion, and frustration. She was finally ready to take the next step, and he was hesitating. She allowed him to guide her head onto her pillow as he moved his body to hover over hers, his weight supported by his forearms and knees. He kissed her again. Softly, slowly, before leaning to her ear and whispering, "I want to show you how you make me feel. Trust me, okay?" She nodded silently in acceptance. He began kissing from her ear down her cheek and to her neck. He leisurely kissed and sucked the crook of her neck as his hands slowly traced down her shoulders until they reached her breasts. Each hand massaging one before using his thumbs to circle around the nipples.

April's virgin skin was sensitive to each touch, and her body was completely writhing as Jackson used his tongue to move from her neck down to the middle of her chest. He kissed around one breast before circling the nipple with his tongue. April's breathing was already quickening and he smiled at the sight of her arousal. "Ah!" he heard her moan as he covered her nipple with his mouth and began lapping and sucking on the pink flesh.

After devoting his attention to both breasts, he continued his trail of kisses down to her navel, heading towards her thighs.

"Jackson, don't," she breathed, as her legs instinctively closed tight.

"Shhh, relax," he assured her. He interlaced the fingers of his left hand with hers as he coaxed her legs back open with his right. He began kissing up her thigh and April could not protest any longer. It felt way too good to make him stop now, but she couldn't bring herself to look. To preserve her modesty, she folded her free arm over her eyes and tried to just lay back and enjoy how Jackson was making her feel.

Jackson used his thumb to caress her center up and down, feeling how wet she already was from his touch. Her fingers were clenching his other hand in a death grip, which only made him want to please her more. He dipped his head down further between her thighs, using his tongue to begin circling the tiny bud at the apex of her center. "Oh God!" she shouted, as she clenched his hand even tighter, her head dipping back on the pillow. He began tenderly sucking on her most sensitive area and it nearly made her unravel completely. Her hips involuntarily lifted at the sensation and Jackson had to release her hand in order to hold her steady as he continued lavishing his mouth on her.

It was becoming too much to bare. April's hands clenched the top of her pillow as she began to feel her thighs quiver with every movement of his exquisite tongue. The sensation intensified more and more until Jackson flicked his tongue at just the right instant and the dam of arousal that had built up burst open in one earth shattering moment. All she could do was give in to the ecstasy and release a loud shriek of pleasure as she rode out the waves of the orgasm Jackson had just given her.

April sucked in deep, heavy breaths as she came down from her high. She giggled as Jackson kissed the now highly sensitive skin of her inner thighs. He moved up to her side and laid next to her, his head propped on his right hand to face her. "How was that?" he asked, although he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

She laughed at his words. "Are you kidding me? That was completely amazing," she gushed. April leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Will it always feel like that?" she asked breathily.

"I'm sure with you it will always be like that, or even better," he assured her, tracing his index finger around her chest. Now that Jackson knew about her naïveté and timidity in the intimacy department, he was going to make sure that she didn't feel that way with him. She should always feel as sexy as he knew she was.

"What time is your flight tomorrow?" Jackson asked, breaking their intimate moment.

April glanced over at the clock. "In about nine hours," she answered. Her bag was packed and she was ready for her flight to New York in the morning. Although she wished that she could spend the next day with her new boyfriend since he'd just gotten back, April had a fellowship interview with Mount Sinai Hospital that she couldn't miss.

"They're going to love you," Jackson declared, pushing back the thoughts of what a fellowship in New York would mean to their relationship.

"I hope so," she said, though there was a tiny part of her that thought things would be much easier if Mount Sinai didn't love her. Seattle Grace loved her, and they loved Jackson too. That would make everything so much simpler. She closed her eyes and decided not to think about the possibilities yet. It was just too much too soon, and she didn't want to pop this perfect bubble she was currently floating in.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, I'd love it if you'd leave me a review. It really encourages me to continue! Thanks for reading. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi everyone! The past few weeks have been rough for us Japril fans, so I hope this update helps distract you until we get to see our faves again. **

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Cristina Yang began, biting into her apple. "You're doing your fellowship in New York, and Avery's going to be in New Orleans?"

April nodded in confirmation. She was having lunch with Cristina and Meredith in her office. Since she'd become Chief Resident, her friends had often opted to eat in the office rather than fight the crowds in the cafeteria during the lunch rush. "Why are you looking at me like that? We can make it work." April said, noting the doubtful expressions on both of her friends' faces.

After she interviewed for Mount Sinai in New York City, April and Jackson had discussed the future of their careers and their relationship at length. Both had come to the understanding that neither one of them wanted to hinder the others' career, so they'd agreed to each pick the fellowship that would provide them with the best opportunity, regardless of location. They cared enough about each other that they were willing to work hard to make their relationship work. It may still be new, but it was definitely worth the added effort.

"It's only a three hour flight, so one of us will visit the other at least once a month for a weekend so we can spend time together. I don't think it will be that bad," April explained.

"Oh I'm not worried about how much time you're going to spend together. I'm just wondering how long it'll take for some hot young intern to get her claws into your pretty-boy husband," Cristina suggested.

April crinkled her nose, slightly offended. "What? Why would you say that? Jackson would never cheat on me," she insisted.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mean to," Cristina continued, "but then some cute little intern comes along batting her eyelashes, flirting all day and complimenting his surgical technique and voilà, they're hooking up in an on-call room."

April shook her head in disagreement and looked to Meredith for support. "She's just trying to make me paranoid, right?"

"Don't look to Mer for reassurance," Cristina laughed. "She _was_ the kind of girl you should be worrying about. The intern who slept with an attending, remember?"

"She does have a point," Meredith smirked, gesturing towards Cristina. "And she's no better. She ended up marrying an attending too."

"Guilty," Cristina smiled, giving Meredith a high five.

April quickly put her fork down, eyes widening. "Oh God, you're right. I have to go," she mumbled as she shot up off the sofa and out the door.

"Oops, did I say something wrong?" Cristina asked innocently, taking another bite of her apple.

* * *

April found Jackson walking down the hallway towards her office. "Hey, I was just coming to see you," he smiled.

"We need to talk," April said, grabbing his arm abruptly and pulling him in to the nearest on-call room.

"Just talk?" he asked as he pushed her hair off her neck and leaned down to kiss her exposed skin. It was becoming more and more difficult for both of them to keep their hands off each other. They had essentially done everything a couple could possibly do besides sex, but had mutually agreed to delay doing the actual deed until after their board exams, which were in less than a week. They figured they didn't need the extra distraction, but Jackson was beginning to think that the torture of _not_ having sex was becoming and even bigger distraction.

April put her hands on his chest to stop him. His lips felt so good on any part of her body, but now was not the time. "Wait, we really need to talk," she interrupted. "I know I'm the one who said we should follow our set goals wherever that takes us," she continued, pacing back and forth in the small room, "but I don't want you finding a Meredith at Tulane."

Jackson squinted his eyes, perplexed. "Huh? What are you talking about? Why would I find Meredith at Tulane?"

"No, you're not understanding. I don't mean _actual_ Meredith, just _a_ Meredith," she clarified. "You know, some hot intern you hook up with and then end up leaving me behind like the first Dr. Mrs. Shepherd," she rambled. "I don't think I could handle that, Jackson. Maybe you were right. Maybe this was a bad idea and we should try to find fellowships closer together."

Jackson tried to hold back his smile. He had never seen April jealous before, and he found it completely adorable. Though it was jealousy over a non-existent, hot intern, he still thought it was endearing.

He rubbed his hands over her arms in an effort to ease her misgivings. "Babe, you have nothing to worry about. I promise you I won't be looking at any interns, nurses, residents, attendings, or whoever else you could think of. I'm happy. _We_ are happy. I'm not going to do anything to mess that up," he assured her. April let out a breath of relief and a small smile. Jackson kissed her forehead and pulled her into a hug.

A few days prior, it had been April's confidence and reassurance that persuaded him that their relationship was strong enough to handle the long distance of their fellowship locations. He had wanted to bring up the idea that it might be best if they both stayed in Seattle, but he could tell as soon as April arrived back from New York City that she was extremely excited for the opportunity to live and work there. It made sense. Who could blame a small-town girl from the Midwest for wanting to experience life in one of the most exciting cities in the world? Jackson couldn't bring himself to even suggest that maybe she give up that opportunity so that they could be closer together.

And now, given April's sudden paranoia about their relationship, it would have been easy to bring up the option of them both staying at Seattle Grace. Still, though, he didn't want to take advantage of the situation like that. He would feel too guilty knowing that he'd caused her to alter her plans for him. So he held his tongue and kept silent in their current embrace, secretly dreading their inevitable separation in a few short months.

* * *

"Kepner, do you have a moment?" Owen Hunt asked as he approached his trauma resident in the E.R.

"Of course, chief," April smiled cheerfully, following him to an unoccupied exam room. She was headed to San Francisco that night for her boards the next day, and was prepared for what she thought would be her mentor's pep talk.

"I know you've accepted the fellowship offer at Mount Sinai," he began, "but I just want you to reconsider the opportunity you'd have here at Seattle Grace."

April was caught off guard by this topic of discussion, but responded quickly nonetheless. "Thank you, sir. I have thoroughly considered all of my options and -"

"What I'm trying to say is..." he paused, considering the correct way to word what he was going to say next. "I've taken on far more duties as the chief of surgery, and eventually I'll need to dial it back as head of the trauma department. Now, I can't guarantee anything this far in advance, but I want you to know that I will be the one who will choose my replacement. If you decide to stay at Seattle Grace and continue to excel in your fellowship as you have as a trauma resident, I don't think I'd find a better candidate than you to take my place," he hinted.

April couldn't believe her ears. Her boss was essentially offering her the keys to the kingdom if she decided to accept the fellowship offer at Seattle Grace. "Thank you sir, that certainly is something to consider," she responded. She would be lying if she said that it wasn't a tempting offer. A near-guarantee to be head of the trauma department in a few years. "Do you need an answer right away, sir?"

"No, take your time and think about it. I don't want to be the one to add any extra pressure on you before the boards. Just let me know your decision when you get back," he said, opening the door and walking back toward the E.R.

It was definitely something April needed time to consider. Her first thought, after the excitement of possibly becoming a department head in the near future, was Jackson. How would this effect their plans, if at all? For one thing, she knew the travel time to New Orleans was at least six hours each way since there were no direct flights. More than twice the travel time as compared to her living in New York. Would that be a big deal? How often would they realistically be able to see each other? What would he think about her taking this opportunity? The one person who could provide her with some much-needed answers and perspective was the one person she didn't want to talk to about it. Not yet. She couldn't drop this distraction on him right before the boards, so for the time being she decided to push the offer to the back burner and concentrate on the big day ahead of her tomorrow. This decision could wait until she could talk to Jackson and see what really would best for her happiness, both professionally and personally.

* * *

"Wow, what a cool room," Jackson observed as he pulled his suitcase into the hotel room. April followed close behind.

"It's such a nice view," she commented, taking a peak out at the skyline. They had just checked in to their shared room at the Omni Hotel in San Francisco in preparation for their boards.

After settling in and unpacking, they attempted to study one last time before the exams first thing the next morning.

"I can't do this anymore, my head's going to explode," April proclaimed, tossing her flash cards on the bed in defeat. "I'm going to take a shower and try to get to sleep early."

"Sounds like a good plan," Jackson agreed.

As April headed into the bathroom, Jackson's cell phone rang. He'd assumed it was his mother wishing him luck, but was surprised to see Mark Sloan's name on the caller ID.

"Didn't you just wish me good luck a few hours ago?" Jackson answered.

"I did, but I guess I didn't have all the information at that time, did I?" Mark responded accusatorily.

"What do you mean? Did you hear something about the boards that I should know about?" Jackson asked, confused.

"No, I just got some information from Dr. Hunt that you conveniently forgot to tell me about your wife."

Jackson was puzzled. Why was his mentor being so cryptic?

Taking Jackson's silence as acceptance of his guilt in keeping information from him, Mark continued. "So does this mean the Plastics Posse is going to stay in tact? You didn't tell me that Kepner was going to stay at Seattle Grace."

Jackson paused, processing the words he'd just heard, completely flabbergasted.

"She's what?!"

* * *

**No sexy times in this chapter (sorry, but they will come...I promise!), but the story is progressing and I hope you liked it. I'd love to hear your opinions, so please leave a review!**


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